Fear Before The Fall
by DarkHououmon
Summary: A rewrite/reinterpretation of Sinful Behaviors. "Those zoners are a nuisance, Rudy. They lie, they cheat, they swindle, and those are just the 'better' ones. Others, like what you've faced, are clearly dangerous and potential murderers. They need to be tamed, Rudy."
1. Prologue

**Tap Tap Tap Tap...**

The sound of a keyboard being constantly clicked on could be heard echoing in the small room. Long, slender fingers continuously punched against them, forcing each one down. This continued in a steady stream and didn't seem to have any signs of slowing down. A glowing white monitor rested above it, and as each word was typed, this was reflected on the screen. Black on white, long strips from left to right.

That was all that Ms. Saffron could see within her field of vision. She slowly blinked a few times as she stared at the screen, attempting to try to shake it off. She could feel her eyes starting to burn a little. It was like she was an ancient monitor and this image was going to get burned into her retina. She shook her head once and even then, she managed to keep typing.

She had no idea how long as she had been at this. It felt like _hours already_. Her boss wanted this to be done as soon as possible. When she had agreed to do it, she thought it would be a simple thing. She thought that it would have only taken maybe a few minutes tops. She had no idea of all the paperwork and whatever else that this man wanted her to sort through. He didn't want her to stop for anything. He seemed rather adamant about having all of this ready before the end of the day.

She frowned at this. It was so insane that he wanted her to do this. Why did he want her to type up all of these questions? And why _so many?_ Next to her, she could see piles of paper, handwritten by her boss himself. They had scribbles on them that she recognized as words and sentences. They were a list of questions that he wanted her to type down. He would rarely give her a break, only if her hand was in need of wrest. It was getting to that point again already.

Ms. Saffron couldn't keep up the typing. The clicking stopped and she leaned away in her chair. She let her arms rest at her sides. Her fingers curled in slightly, the muscles feeling relaxed now that they could finally take a break. She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, releasing a loud sigh.

"You do realize this needs to get done, _right?_ "

Ms. Saffron frowned a little as she turned to stare over at her boss. He was sitting in a chair near her. He had been watching her the entire time, ensuring that she would get this done. She didn't know why he was so paranoid. Was it really necessary for him to do this?

But rather than complain, she readjusted herself in the chair so that she could look at him more clearly. With her arms resting on the rest on the chair, leaning against it, Ms. Saffron asked, "I don't know why you really need this so badly. This could be done in a few days' time." She gave pause for a moment as she noticed his glare. "What is it, Mr. Cosmo?"

She half-expected him to slap his hand against something, like his thigh. Instead, his response was cooled, mellow. This contrasted with his obvious frustration. The way that he spoke more or less gave away how he was actually feeling right now. "You know we don't have that kind of time. We need to be at that school at some point tomorrow."

"And we have many hours before we need to do that!" Ms. Saffron slipped out. She didn't bother trying to stop herself. More words flowed from her mouth. "And it's not even _noon!_ "

"Right. And by starting this early, we can be prepared." Mr. Cosmo nodded his head.

Ms. Saffron struggled not to growl at this. She let out a forced sigh as she swung her head back in the direction of the monitor. She raised her hands to start typing again. She dropped them once more and looked back at Mr. Cosmo. She swung her chair around so that she was more comfortable, having gotten tired of the achiness forming in her arm muscles. "Did you really need this many questions?" She asked as she motioned towards the thick pile of paper. "You really want me to type all of that..." She raised her hand up slowly. "...before tomorrow?"

"I don't know where I stuttered, Ms. Saffron." Mr. Cosmo moved his hands in closer, tapping them against one another. His eyes narrowed softly, but the smile remained on his face. "I just feel it's more...efficient to do things like this. You'll feel so much better after the hard part is done. Trust me, everything else after will just fall into place." He leaned himself back a little, crossing one leg over the other. "It'll be like a great weight was lifted from you."

Ms. Saffron wasn't sure how to respond to that. A part of her realized that Mr. Cosmo was correct. It would feel good to get this stuff done. But that was only because there was so much of it. And she didn't even know how much of this was even needed. How much more did she really need to type? And most of all..

Ms. Saffron sighed, "But did it need to be _this_ many questions..?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "I think it's a perfectly acceptable length."

The woman's jaws dropped down. " _Two hundred fifty questions?!_ "

"That's nothing. Have you ever seen standardized testing in my town?" Mr. Cosmo laughed softly. It was clear that he found humor in the woman's response. No wonder he didn't think too much of this. She hated to think how long this would have been had he done his town's length, whatever that might have been. "Anyway, this won't take long if you keep typing. The questions aren't that long, anyway. You'll be able to finish within two to three hours, I imagine."

" _Two to three hours?_ " Ms. Saffron repeated.

Mr. Cosmo nodded his head. "Provided you keep going and don't waste too much time resting. I assume you have a good typing speed?"

Ms. Saffron didn't answer. She just looked back at the screen. She had no idea what she was going to do. Well obviously, she still had to keep moving. She couldn't let herself just stop. But still, a part of her wondered just how necessary this all was. _Why_ was this man _so obsessed_ with _this?_ If he hadn't threatened to fire her if she didn't do this, she would have just stopped and walked away.

She didn't know what the big deal was. She didn't know why he had to go to this school, and why this school in particular. She didn't know why he wanted to bring these test questions over. She didn't know what made this particular school so special out of all the other schools. She thought it was randomized, but the man's reaction when she suggested a different one seemed to be in line with adamancy. There was something special about this school. She just didn't know what it was.

The woman let out a small sigh and she resumed typing. It wasn't like she was going to get an option to stop at this point. She tried not to let herself think too hard on the typing and on the achiness. She instead focused her attention on the ending result, when her body can finally stop to rest. And somehow, that helped make the process a little easier.

But even as she continued typing up question after question, she still felt a sting of curiosity. She didn't like to really pry into her boss's work. She didn't really know what her boundaries were and she didn't know what her authorization level was. Just how much was she allowed to know? The fact that she worked for Mr. Cosmo for years did little to really ease her mind. That was one of her faults that she wished that she could work on. She never quite fully got over the nervousness of being a newcomer to Mr. Cosmo's company.

Though she could obviously question his plans no problem. The thought brought a smile to her face and she chuckled. It was funny how things worked like that.

She did her best to keep focusing on her assignment, but her mind continuously wandered back to that question from before. It wasn't like she _hadn't_ asked already. It wasn't like she _didn't_ get an answer. But she still couldn't feel fully satisfied with the answer. She found herself releasing a frustrated grunt as she looked over her shoulder. She stared at the man intently with one eye.

"And just what is so special about Plainville High School?" She asked in a soft, slightly strained voice.

She watched as Mr. Cosmo's smile spread along his face. "This place is _different_ from the others. I have been looking everywhere, through different schools, to find the one that I feel would be perfect." He tilted his head up slightly, as though to try to get a good view of the monitor situated behind the woman. "And I do believe, based on what I know of this place, it'd be the _most obvious_ choice."

Ms. Saffron blinked at this. She hadn't exactly gotten any sort of answer. In fact, this was more or less the same thing that he had said before the last time she asked. But she did realize that the man was not likely going to give any further details. This was the most that she could hope for.

Too exhausted to keep asking the same questions, the woman merely shrugged her shoulders and returned to typing. She hoped that this would be all worth it in the end. That's what Mr. Cosmo kept promising her. As for whether or not that'll be true...

Well, they will just have to wait and see.


	2. Some Needed Preparations

It's funny how things don't always go the way that you expect them to or want them to. There's always some kind of variable that shifts things around and makes people wonder just how they could have occurred. Naturally, everything can always lean in a new direction, one that couldn't be foreseen or predicted.

That's what Rudy went through when he and Penny agreed to meet up and work on an experiment together.

The class had been assigned to pick some sort of experiment to show the class. The topic related to chemicals and interactions between them. Due to this nature, of course there were limitations. It made Rudy wonder if Mr. Wilter even realized what he was assigning. Maybe the man just had a little too much confidence in his students to not screw up. Maybe he thought they all had some kind of junior set at home. Or maybe he was just overthinking things.

It was _still_ a surprise to Rudy that Mr. Wilter _still_ wound up being his teacher even years later. He was now fifteen and he first had Mr. Wilter as a teacher at age eight. It made him wonder if the man was following him around, constantly trying to make sure that he wasn't 'wasting his time drawing cartoons' or something.

Mr. Wilter claimed that's just how the cookie crumbled. Translated, Rudy took it as Mr. Wilter miraculously changing grade teacher positions each time he and Penny went up the ladder. Every year, Rudy hoped that he would get away from the stern teacher in favor of someone that would be more appreciative of his art. Bt each time, he would be dashed and shocked to see that, just like last year, it was Mr. Wilter. He tried to come up with an explanation for this that didn't pertain to the man doing this on purpose. But really, there wasn't much else he could think of that would explain it.

A part of him couldn't help but wonder if the man really was trying to guide him in the 'right direction', as he believed. He wondered if Mr. Wilter was attempting to mold his future for him. If that's the case, that was a rather low blow. It was almost amusing at first how often this man showed up in his life, but now it was just getting... _ugh..._

Rudy did manage to shake the thoughts out of his head for now and he focused on Penny's demonstration. She had gone for something really simple that wouldn't involve explosions or potential damage. And it involved chalk as well, Rudy's favorite form of art medium. He hadn't quite remembered what she had in mind, but he was more than ready to get the experimented started on.

 _...that is, until it actually began._

"You see this here, Rudy?" Penny pulled forward a strong smelling liqud known as vinegar. Rudy had to scrunch up his nose a little, the foul stench invading his nostrils. "With the composition of this vinegar and this piece of chalk.." Penny held it up. It wasn't white but rather blue in color. "...we should get a very colorful reaction. As the two..."

"Is it going to be like those volcanoes we did back in..." Rudy started to say.

Penny paused for a second before nodding her head. "Yeah... You could say it's kind of like that. But slower and less... boomy." Rudy frowned slightly in disappointment. Penny took notice of this and quickly added, "But I think you'd still like this anyway."

Rudy had little reason to disagree. He always did enjoy those volcanoes. Messy, but they were a sight to behold. He could appreciate the interactions of color and of material. Even if making them wouldn't have led him far into life, they were still a good time waster and a nice way to let out some emotion. School hadn't always been the best for him. That was a rare moment that he felt truly...united with everyone else.

Rudy thought that, because there'd be a similar though slower reaction with the blue chalk and vinegar, that he would end up liking it just as much. He thought that he would be dazzled by the flowing of color and fluid as he was with the fake volcanoes that he made five years ago.

But he realized very quickly that he had been wrong. As soon as the blue chalk pieces Penny had prepared fell into the cup of vinegar, Rudy could immediately feel his heart freezing up at the sight of what he saw.

It had started off slowly at first, a sizzling look spreading along the chalk like it was being boiled. It only got progressively worse from there. Bits of chalk were breaking off into smaller pieces. There were sharp and uneven changes to the coloration in the wat... _er_ , vinegar. Some were pale and others sharply turning darker, with some gradiation in a few places. They almost looked like oil like from one of those dreadful oil spills. Then more bubbles slowly rose up. With his eyes wide and body frozen, Rudy could see how the bubbly fizz, somewhat reminiscent of the school's toy volcanoes, rose up. A few times, there was a sudden churn, with melted blue chalk shooting upwards a little, twisting and churning on its own as though it were possessed.

But that was not the only thing that had him frozen in horror and shock. The particular chalk Penny had chosen, blue, made it all the more worse for him. Rudy's eyes constantly scanned the vinegar and chalk mixture, and as it continued to distort beyond what it was before, he couldn't help but see _Snap_ in there. The blue coloring was almost enough to pass off for _his friend._

" _Rudy...?_ " Penny's whispering voice moved through the air. "A-Are you.. all right..?"

Rudy couldn't answer. His eyes were still glued to what was happening, his mouth dropping open slowly. He no longer saw just the chalk or just the vinegar. He could see his friend dying before him. He could hear Snap calling out to him, wanting him to save him. And as the chalk lost its shape and only liquid remained...

Suddenly, Rudy found himself shouting and moving back. " _S-Stop it! Please stop it!_ " This sudden shouting caused Penny to jolt back. Rudy grabbed onto the sides of his head, his green eyes bulging in shock. "Please... no more..."

Penny reacted immediately. She grabbed the cup of vinegar and blue chalk mix and poured it down the sink. It didn't seem that long that she was gone. Rudy's mind was still reeling from what happeend. To him, it all happened in a blink of an eye, and that wasn't enough for him to fully snap out of his trance. Everything was rock solid and a blur and he hardly noticed Penny shaking him.

" _Rudy! It's all right now!_ "

Rudy could feel himself being moved back and forth with some level of force. But only just slightly. It was like he was in a whole other world. One that just didn't line up with what he was sensing. He could feel someone grabbing him but he could see no one. Only a distant puddle of liquid blue that was making him tear up.

And this is how it remained for him for a time frame that he could not keep track of. It may very well have been just a few seconds, each tic dragging out like someone slowing down their walking. Ultimately it took several hard shakes from Penny before Rudy started to realize just where he was. He blinked a few times and he looked around a little. He gasped heavily a few times as though he just came out of swimming under water. He then looked at Penny, whom he just now could make the blurry face of.

It still took what felt like another minute before Rudy finally snapped out of his mental lock. Once he realized what he had been doing, he could feel a wave of shame coming over him. He looked at Penny with wide, horrified eyes and he could feel himself misting up again. "Penny... I'm sorry, I..." He choked, stumbling over his words. "I didn't mean to..."

"No, no it's all right. I should have realized this would have happened." Penny turned her head away for a few seconds, biting her lip. Her face contorted slightly with guilt. "Perhaps I should have picked a different experiment."

This didn't exactly help Rudy feel any better. Oh why did he have to react so stupidly? " _Penny_..."

They remained silent for a few moments. The silence rapidly grew heavy and eerie, making them all shudder with cold. It swirled around them, wrapping them up, but it was not the comforting kind that one would get with their mother. No, there was something almost sinister about this one, like it was trying to remind both of them of what they had done. They glanced at one another, slowly blinking, before they could get themselves to turn away.

Rudy still couldn't believe what he had just done. He had never meant for things to go like that. He didn't think that he would react to such a simple experiment in that kind of way. He alsot understood that Penny couldn't have possibly known that something like that would happen with him. She didn't do this with malicious intent and he couldn't imagine just how guilty she must be feeling right now. This did little to help Rudy calm down.

After a few moments, Penny finally broke the silence. With some hesitation and nervousness, she said, "L-Let's just skip this for now." She gave a weak chuckle as she offered a small smile to Rudy. "We can hold off on this for a while longer. There is something else on the agenda that I think we should focus on, anyway."

Though Rudy still felt guilty, he was glad for the subject change. "What can we work on now instead of..."

"Rudy, I'm surprised at you." Penny held her hand up in gesture. "I thought you would have already guessed what we'll be working on next."

Rudy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not following." Rudy took a moment to struggle to think of what Penny could be referring to. But he just continuously drew a blank. He felt a small burn in his stomach as he realized that he couldn't figure it out. All he could think of was that darn experiment. What else could be Penny talking about? "Could you feel me in?"

Penny released a small sigh. Rudy flinched at how that sounded. He was really going to regret this, wasn't he? "It's Snap's seventh birthday."

Sure enough, he did.

Rudy could feel his hands immediately his hand slapping his forehead with his hand, the slapping sound nearly echoing off everywhere. He took in a sharp breath as he struggled to breathe normally. He tried to speak, but he was unable to. His voice was caught in his throat. He instead just stared at Penny long and hard as he let this all sink in.

 _Oh shit... That was right_... It was Snap's birthday today. Or rather, his creation day as zoners call it. Snap was turning seven, a realization that seemed almost daunting to Rudy. Had it truly been that long since he had first created Snap on that chalkboard in school?

Rudy felt a strong urge to want to kick himself for what he had done. It would have been one thing if he forgot a new friend's birthday, but this was Snap. He's known him for so long. He should know his birthday by now. And yet somehow, he had allowed it to slip his mind. Rudy put his hand to his face and rubbed it slowly, feeling his stomach stinging in his chest and stomach. What kind of friend as he? What kind of friend would forget an important day such as today?

Penny noticed how he was reacting and she came in closer to him. She reached out and she placed her hand gently on his shoulder. Rudy could feel himself jolting a little, not expecting such a touch. He turned his head to start at his friend. The two locked eyes with one another, breathing softly. Rudy remained silent for several long moments before he finally managed to get himself to talk.

"I didn't... I'm sorry I forgot." Rudy flinched slightly at how he sounded. He didn't mean to squeak like that. He swallowed nervously and he tried to move in. "S-So what did he have in mind?"

"That's what we're helping him with today." Penny said. She gave him a slight glare, showing her disappointment in him not remembering. But her expression rapidly softened up. "Snap has some ideas, but he wants our help with picking out what would be the best."

Rudy chuckled softly. "We used so many ideas already. And you know how Snap can be." Rudy rubbed the back of his head slowly. "He always wants something bigger and better for his next party." He had to freeze for a second as he remembered Snap's fifth party. That was an area that he would not want to visit again. "What were the ideas that... Oh right, didn't he say something about a costume party?"

His friend nodded her head a few times at this. She reached up with a finger to quickly adjust her glasses. "He's always wanted to try it but it kinda keeps falling onto the wayside. He wants to go through with it this time." Penny leaned herself back a little. "But this is competing with his other ideas, like having the entire party on a series of air balloons."

Rudy shuddered at that idea. He could not see that going too well.

"And then there was his idea about doing a Pinnochio-style party inside a whale's mouth..."

"Ohh... I can't see that going well." Rudy brough this hands up as he shook once. "I don't think any of the whale zoners here would appreciate having a Snap party in their mouth. You know how big, crowded, and long those tend to lest."

" _Exactly._ " Penny agreed. "I think the costume party is the safest bet."

Rudy couldn't disagree with that. How could he? If these were the ideas Snap was considering, then the costume party was the best one. It was the easiest to impliment and the easiest to keep safe. He didn't know why his friend was going for such extreme ideas. He guessed that Snap was just really confident in his creator friend that he felt fine with suggesting more ludicrous ideas. Snap probably thought Rudy would always be able to keep him safe. Rudy was happy to help however he could, but he did wish that Snap would stop acting as though he'd be there for every single situation.

Rudy raised his arms upward, stretching out his muscles. He let out a small, quick yawn, a reflex of such an action. "So now that we've figured this out..." He exhaled quickly as he lowered his hands back down at his sides. He looked intently over at Penny. "...what else should we consider?"

Penny tapped her finger against her chin. "Well, we do need to take into consideration how many zoners are to be invited, where this will take place, what kind of costume party will it be, the food that will be prepared..."

Rudy felt his eyes widen as he listened to Penny list this stuff off. Looked like there was still more work to do. Oh well, at least it was this and not that rotten experiment. He had that much to look forward to.

As he listened to Penny continue to talk about this, he started to wonder just what he himself was going to do at this party. What was he going to dress up as? He struggled to think of a good costume. Something that Snap wouldn't be embarrassed about. It was his special day, after all. He didn't want anything to happen that would ruin it. There were all sorts of options. But he realized that it would ultimately depend on what theme they chose for it. He wouldn't want to show up as, say, a prince if the theme was a horror movie. That would be a little strange, to say the least.

"And I think that about wraps it up." Penny said, finishing up what she was telling Rudy. "Did you get all of that?"

Rudy quickly nodded his head. "Yeah I believe so." He frowned slightly as he looked downward. "Man, we have quite a bit to think about still." He put his hand on his chin, letting his head lean up against it. "We don't even have a _theme_ yet..."

"Don't worry. We'll figure out something." Penny smiled at him gently. "And whatever the case may be, I'm sure Snap will appreciate what we do for him."

"Yeah, you're right. He's our friend. Whatever we all decide on, he'll love it." Rudy smiled the best that he could. He really did hope that Penny was right about this. But he didn't have much reason to doubt her.

sss

Mr. Wilter could hear the sound of the school bell ringing, stretching throughout the inside of his ear. He hadn't heard it finish ringing once before he said, "Class _dismissed!_ "

It wasn't like his words were really needed, though. In a matter of moments, the students were already up and about, nearly knocking down their chairs in order to get out as quickly as possible. He watched as they left. He couldn't help but shake his head slowly as they scrambled about. It was a shame that they really felt this excited about leaving school. It kind of made him wonder about the future of education.

But oh well. It wasn't something he tried to worry about too much. He had other things on his mind right now. There were other things more deserving of his attention than a small fear that he couldn't imagine coming into one hundred percent fruition. Instead, he shifted his attention in another direction, frowning soflty at the paperwork laying on the desk.

 _Ugh..._ Why did he agree to cover for this night class, anyway? He already was swamped with work. But this teacher got sick and he agreed to fill in and... He shook his head slowly. He probably should have just said no and went home to get some rest. Most of the students in this night class were not... Well he wasn't going to go much further than that. At least he didn't have to deal with them any further. He just needed to grade their papers and that was it.

As much as he would have preferred to go home right now, perhaps now was a good time to start grading. He might as well get it done quickly so that he could move on to students he was more familiar with. Like Rudy Tabootie.

Speaking of that teenager, he wondered how he was doing. Was he still doodling cartoons during class? As frustrated as he was with Rudy acting as though he thought he could get away with a mediocre score in everything but art, he did still prefer his company over these night class students. At least Rudy made an effort to pay attention in class, even if it did not always seem like it.

Releasing a small sigh, the man headed over to the pile of papers and pulled up the chair. He adjusted himself in the large seat before he reached out and grabbed the pile. It felt heavier than he thought it would. He gritted his teeth at this. Well that wasn't good. But oh well. He might as well get started on this anyway.

As he pressed the pen against the paper, he could feel his cellphone in his pocket starting to vibrate. He released a small growl and he pushed the pen into the table. Now who could be interrupting him at _this hour?_ He swore if it was his cousin trying to wriggle some money from him _again_... Didn't that guy know that he didn't earn that much money on a teacher's salary to start with? It wasn't _his_ fault if he couldn't...

Mr. Wilter pressed a button and he put the phone to his ear. It felt a little awkward. He'd never get used to these new fancy phones the youth were always raving about. Regardless of his discomfort, he spoke into it. "Hello? Who is this?" He tried to sound as polite as possible.

" _Hello there."_

Mr. Wilter froze for a split second, his eyes widening. "Y-You? What are you..." He swallowed once. "What are you calling me up for?"

" _What? Is it wrong of me to dial this number?"_

Mr. Wilter shook his head quickly. "No, that's not it. I am just..surprised you'd call me of all people.. It's.. It's been a while."

" _Oh yes, it has. I fully agree. But I didn't call to just chitchat and catch up with the times. I am wanting to ask you a particular question. I'll understand if you decline."_

The man tried to keep himself calm. It was hard to keep his emotional reaction under control. It was hard to get his blood to stop pumping through his body so quickly. He struggled to keep his breathing under control as his mind spun in circles. He couldn't believe that this guy, out of all people, was contacting him. He felt a little bit of tingling in the tips of his fingers. He hadn't seen this guy in so long and... _for him to contact him like this..._

He shook his head quickly as he snapped himself back to reality. He was so distracted that he hadn't realized this person was trying to speak with him. He could hear him calling out to him and he nearly dropped his phone as he tried to answer.

" _Hello? Are you there?"_

"Yes I am. I'm sorry about that." Mr. Wilter said. Despite his uncertainty, he still tried to sound as polite as possible. After all, this was not the kind of person that he really wanted to upset. And he had a really good reason for avoiding that.

After clearing his throat one more time, Mr. Wilter continued to speak, his voice slightly hushed.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Mr. Cosmo...?"


	3. The Party

Mr. Wilter couldn't believe that he had agreed to do this. He couldn't believe that he decided that it would be a good idea to bring Mr. Cosmo here to speak with him. They could have worked out all the details over the phone and it would have been fine. There would have been no need to do something like this. And frankly, he wasn't that comfortable talking to him in person.

But he also knew how bad it would look upon him if word of this got out. Mr. Cosmo was pretty influential, a well-known man. Regardless of his feelings towards him, he couldn't deny that. People are going to wonder why he turned down an offer to speak with the esteemed Mr. Cosmo. After all, the man was responsible for the new electric service that this town long needed. They did owe _something_ to the man and...

It still felt reallly odd, though. Why this place of all places? What did this puny little town have to offer that Mr. Cosmo wanted? Specifically, why _this_ school? He couldn't really think of anything that... Well no that's not true. There was something. He hoped that he was incorrect on that part, though. Whatever happens, he hoped that his uncomfortable thought wasn't the reason.

Mr. Wilter tried his best to sit down and wait for Mr. Cosmo to show up. He looked up at the clock and watched the hand tick back and forth before looking back at the door. He took in a deep breath and he exhaled as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He tapped his fingers on his thigh and he felt his fingers digging in slightly. As the door knob moved, he thought one thing to himself.

 _Let's get this over with._

Mr. Cosmo's face peaked out from behind the door. Mr. Wilter gave a slow nod of his head, gesturing for the man to come in further. The man obligued and walked in slowly. Shutting the door behind him, he immediately strode over towards Mr. Wilter, acting as though they had been friends forever.

"Greetings, Mr. Wilter!" Mr. Cosmo reached out towards the man. "I am honored that you allowed me to speak with you. I hope that you will find that you made the right decision."

Mr. Wilter tried not to flinch at the wording. He struggled to smile back. He managed to do it, but not as well as he would have liked. He swallowed hard and said, "Yes, I hope that you'll find this meeting rewarding as well." Not the most professional sounding statement. But he had his doubts that Mr. Cosmo would care too much. After all, they were...

"Thanks, much appreciated." After the two men shook hands, Mr. Cosmo moved in towards the nearby chair. He settled himself down, making himself at home. Mr. Wilter watched as the man absent-mindedly fiddled around with one of the pens on his desk in mild curiosity. "This is a nice school you got here, Mr. Wilter. You did okay for yourself."

Mr. Wilter didn't know how to respond to that except with a nod and a, "It's something at least." He didn't want to waste too much time. Regardless of his feelings of having to deal with ungrateful students, it was a reality that he unfortunately had and that meant making sure that he was ready. Having this meeting this early probably wasn't the brightest idea. "I know that I agreed to let you come here for this test thing, but I still don't understand. Why here? And why this test?"

Mr. Cosmo picked up a pen and pressed his fingers against the tips. "Oh, Mr. Wilter, always so fretty..." He moved his hands up and down, moving the pen with him. "I do wish that you wouldn't be so worried. Trust me, I have a reason for this."

"Yes, and I want to know what that reason is." Mr. Wilter was firm in his voice. He straightened himself up, glaring down at Mr. Cosmo as the man looked up at him so casually. "If I am going to let you walk into my classroom and have my students take your test..." He pointed his finger down, moving his finger up and down a few times. "There _needs_ to be a _reason_ for it. You have to convince me that this will pertain to their futures."

"It will, I _promise_." Mr. Cosmo stated. He placed the pen back on the teacher's desk. "I feel that your school has more promise than the others."

"What? Really?" Mr. Wilter rubbed the top of his head. "I actually heard this school is suffering from really low grades on average..."

It was true, far as he knew. While not all the students wound up to be failures, Penny Sanchez being a noteable example, Mr. Wilter was aware that education in this town was _still...lacking_. Reggie Bullnerd wasn't the only student suffering. There were other students in similar situations. He hardly ever hears any stories of success from any student who hails from this school.

That's part of why he was so hard on his students. He was worried about what would happen if they flunked. He was worried about what the future held for them. He just didn't want them to completely fail at life like some of the worst cases he had seen. He wanted to improve the reputation that this school had. He wanted to show those mocking them that they were capable of becoming better, that they weren't just a 'hole in the wall' town.

But of course, it wasn't like his students really understood this. To them, he was just the 'big nosed grumpy teacher who always wanted to ruin their fun'. He wished they would try to understand more. But how could they? These students were still children. They didn't fully understand how the world worked yet. They were still being cared for by their parents. They didn't know what it was like to have to strike it out on their own.

Although Mr. Wilter did have a taste of that at one point...

He shook his head once, realizing that he was trailing off a little too much there. He cleared his throat as he turned his attention to Mr. Cosmo, who had his eyebrow cocked up. It made Mr. Wilter wonder just how long he had been silent. " _Er_... sorry about that. I was just..."

"Not to worry." Mr. Cosmo said as he raised his hand up slowly. "I can get sidetracked as well. Anyway to repeat what I said..." He set his arm back down. "I think that we could help benefit this school and this town by having the students take this test. I understand that this place is struggling."

"I don't know how this one test could change that, though." Mr. Wilter admitted, resting his hand on his chin. "I mean, how is this going to..." His voice trailed off. He wasn't really sure how to continue. He was still having trouble wrapping his mind around this and he still wasn't sure if he really wanted Mr. Cosmo to come here or not. But he had already struck the deal so...

Mr. Cosmo leaned in a little forward, staring at him intently. "I promise you, Mr. Wilter, if you go through with this and if we get these tests taken care of, then things will get better. I know you well enough, Mr. Wilter and I know you want the best for your students."

Mr. Wilter felt a brief shudder. It was almost like the man had been reading his mind. How eerie for this man to bring this up right after he was thinking about it... Although he did mention the low grade thing. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

"Grades will improve. People will stop mocking this place. More students will graduate with better grades. More students will go off and actually become someone." Mr. Cosmo slowly extended his hand to Mr. Wilter once more. "And it will all begin with a simple... _test_..."

Mr. Wilter stared at the extended hand for a few moments, licking his lips slowly. Then, though a little hesitently, he reached out and he grabbed Mr. Cosmo's hand and shook it once.

sss

"There is _no way_ I'm coming out looking like _this_!"

"Oh come on Rudy! I'm sure you look _fine!_ "

"This is embarrassing!"

"But it's part of the theme! You don't want to disappoint Snap, do you?"

"If I show up looking like this, he will be!"

"Oh Rudy..."

" _No!_ "

Penny folded her arms against her chest and grumbled softly. She couldn't believe how troublesome Rudy was being right now. This shouldn't be that hard. He just needed to put on the costume and come on out. Why did he think that it was so embarrassing anyway? Who was going to make him feel embarrassed? _The zoners?_ With their wacky designs, she had her doubts that they would laugh at him.

She knew Rudy must know this as well. And yet he still chose to act like such a child. Was he embarrassed that she will think he'd look funny? Really, she would think that Rudy would know her better than that.

They couldn't waste much more time on this. Snap's party was going to start soon and the blue and white zoner wanted them to be there when they opened up. If they diddle dallied here for too long, then they were going to have an increased chance of disappointing Snap. Rudy had been adamant about not doing that before. Did he just happen to forget this time?

Penny struggled to think of how she was going to get Rudy to come on out. He can't hide in there forever and there was no time for another costume. Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she briefly pondered the idea of pretending to be his mother and make him think that she was discovering ChalkZone. But the portal wasn't open and the magic chalk wasn't out, so it would not work. Plus she doubted Rudy would be pleased with her doing something like that. So she needed to figure out something else.

Eventually, she said, "You know, Snap will be awfully upset if we don't get there in time." Something that they both knew, but it was the only thing that she could think of. It was the only thing that she knew Rudy would understand. And at least it wasn't as mean-spirited as her previous plan. "We are going to run late if you don't hurry up and get out."

Rudy was silent for a few moments. Then his soft voice came out, "B-But my costume..."

"Look it's fine, Rudy. You know Snap decided for a flowery buggy party this time. You know, to celebrate spring and all that." Penny smiled the best that she could even though Rudy could not see it. She took a few steps towards the closet that Rudy had holed himself up into. "Your costume fits perfectly with the theme. What's there to be nervous about?"

Rudy let out a small grumble. "But did it have to be this costume? I would have much rather have gone with something more...more... _Oh_ I don't know! Just something that wasn't this!"

Penny shook her head slowly. "It was the only one the store had left."

"We could try going for another one and..." Rudy started to say. But Penny cut him off pretty quickly.

"None of the other stores are open. And besides, you know we don't have that kind of time." Penny tapped her foot impatiently. She was doing her best to try to be understanding with Rudy, knowing that he was her friend. But he was still acting ridiculous and he was only going to make matters worse if he continued to hide like this. "Just...come on out. No one in the Real World will see you. And you know the zoners won't care how you look."

There was a bit of silence.

"Rudy, you're only making this harder on yourself." Penny took a step forward. "Come on out so we can get going." She paused for a moment, and then said, "Or do you want Snap to remember this party as the day that you were more concerned about being embarrassed by someone than your own friend?" She hated to have to resort to that, but it was the only thing that she could think of that could possibly make Rudy see.

And it appeared to have worked.

"Oh okay, _fine!_ You win! I'll... I'll come out..."

Penny smiled at this. She waited in silence as the closet door opened up. She watched as Rudy stepped out slowly...

...and he was dressed up as a really pretty-looking butterfly.

She struggled not to chuckle as the thick-ended antenna flopped about. She settled for putting her hand to her mouth lightly as she smiled. She could see Rudy's disgruntled look. She couldn't help but think of Rudy as some cute little child that deserved some hugs. But she restrained herself.

"Now this is adorable." Penny said as she admired the outfit that Rudy wore. It was a little small for Rudy, except for the antennas, but it somehow suited him really well. "I'm sure Snap will love it."

Rudy, however, didn't seem very happy still. Regardless of her words, it was clear that he still felt embarrassed and unsure of the whole thing. She suspected that her smiling so broadly as she was right now wasn't helping. He might be mistaking it for something more mockery than it really was. She struggled to soften up her smile more and try to make it smaller.

"I'm sorry if I'm upsetting you, Rudy. I didn't mean to." Penny tried to sound as gentle as she could. She moved in closer and reached out with her hand. She gently placed it on the boy's shoulder. She could feel him shudder once. "I think you look fine just the way you are."

Rudy seemed hesitant for a moment. Then he slowly lifted his head up to look at her. He bit his lip for a moment and then he gave the hesitant question, "A-Are you sure...? I-I mean..." He swallowed hard. "...You don't think I look like a..."

Penny's eyes widened for a moment. Then she said, "Oh Rudy, why would you think I'd believe something like that?"

"Well.. I don't... What I mean to say is..." Rudy's voice continued to stammer, his tongue struggling to speak the words. This went on for a few seconds before Rudy finally shut his mouth and forced out a sigh. Penny just looked at him with a sympathetic expression. Rudy's face started to redden slightly in a blush. "I'm _pathetic_ , aren't I?"

Penny didn't know what compelled her to do this. But she soon found herself moving forward, leaning in to place a quick kiss on Rudy's forehead. The teenager was caught off guard by this and nearly jumped back. Penny let out a small giggle as he did this.

"It's okay, Rudy. No need to be upset." She raised her hand up and caressed Rudy's cheek softly. Rudy didn't respond. He just looked at her, frozen and with a deepening red blush. " _Now_...why don't we just head on over to Snap's party?"

" _I-I..._ " Rudy licked his lips and struggled to speak. "S-S-Sure, okay!" He said quickly. He smiled softly, though it was slightly crooked. "Th-That sounds great!"

Penny couldn't help but giggle at this. She was glad that Rudy was finally starting to get over his fear of humiliation and going to join the party for fun. She knew with confidence that once he started to dance and loosen up, he was going to feel so much better. He was going to be less uptight about what was going on and he was going to be able to enjoy himself. It was just a matter of getting him to let go of being embarrassed. It wasn't like this was going to be played all over school or anything. And the zoners were far more accepting, anyway.

Without saying another word, the two friends made their way towards the chalkboard. As Rudy began to slowly draw the portal, Penny glanced down at the time. She gritted her teeth when she realized that they were just going to make it in the nick of time. She hoped that Snap would be understanding when they got there. Though she wasn't sure what she was going to say. She wasn't going to snitch on Rudy, that was for sure.

She was then distracted by a bright light. She shifted her head over and she could see the portal was now open. She watched as Rudy crawled through it. And then she herself joined in.

sss

The journey to Snap's house took a little longer than either of them had expected. It wasn't intentional. How could either of them have predicted that incident in town? Or that they were going to head off in the wrong direction briefly before turning themselves around and correct their angle of trajectory?

Both Rudy and Penny tried to write it off as just a simple mistake, that anyone could have made that mistake. They tried their best not to let themselves worry about it. They tried to focus on the more positive stuff. At least they were here now, right? And now they could focus on just keep going forward and hope to meet up with Snap before it was too late.

They could see Snap's house ahead. They could tell it was his because of the line of people waiting to get in. The teens flinched at this as they glanced at one another. This was the party that Snap had intended? He had invited just how many people this time? It almost looked like half of ChalkZone was here. _How in the..._

The two teenagers managed to shake their heads and get that question out of their head. Right now, it didn't really matter how this was all set up. They both knew that Snap would make it work somehow. That's how he's always been.

Rudy couldn't help but smile at the thought. Snap could be pretty resourceful when he needs to be and this wasn't of any exception. Snap had ways of bending things to make them work the way he wanted. _Well...some_ of the times, anyway. At least in this case, it seemed to be something of a win for him.

He and Penny slowly approached the house. There was a steady stream of zoners coming in and out, some already tuckered out from the party. This didn't seem to be a promising sign to Rudy. It meant that Snap wound up starting the party anyway. He felt his gut twisting inside of his stomach and he felt a better taste in his mouth as he struggled to swallow. He hadn't meant to waste that much time with his embarrassment of this costume. He didn't even know why he took that long. Penny was right, he...

"Oh hey, Rudy and Penny!" A zoner called out to them. "Glad you could make it to the party!"

Penny smiled the best that she could. "Thanks, we're happy that you made it as well."

Another zoner called out, nearly startling Rudy. "I almost thought you weren't going to come!"

Rudy chuckled softly, trying to hide his sheepish expression. "Well you know..." He stopped and swallowed hard. "At least we are here now, right?"

The zoner nodded in agreement. "That's true." He waved his hand to him. " _Well have fun!_ "

These two were far from the only zoners to speak up. A handful of other ones who took notice of the humans following the line to the door all tried to say something as well. It was difficult to keep up with all of them. One after another, they came, greeting the teenagers. It was getting to the point where Rudy and Penny nearly stopped. And yet they still attempted, to the best of their ability, to speak with these zoners and return their welcoming.

It wasn't like they knew these zoners personally. The two of them were just being polite. It seemed to be pretty rude to just ignore someone who speaks to you like that, welcoming you. They didn't want to brush off the zoners just because they were in a bit of a hurry.

When they got to the door at least, they did take a moment to release a relieved sigh. It didn't sound like the party was nearly over. With all the thumping in the ground, the lights flaring, and loud shouts, it was obvious the party was still going on. Although it was confusing to the two teenagers how Snap was having this kind of music playing if the theme was related to flowers and whatnot...

Oh well, it was his creation day. He can handle the theme however he wanted to. They could always question his choice of music afterwards.

"Hello, Rudy Tabootie! Hello, Penny Sanchez!"

The two teens were startled when a massive shadow came over them. They moved back a little, nearly falling down, as the large form of Biclops looked down at them, his mouth stretched into a broad smile, clearly happy to see them.

"Hey, Biclops. I'm...surprised to see you at the party." Rudy blurted out. He widened his eyes and froze, quickly stammering. "I-I mean..."

Penny interjected. "What he meants to say is..." She looked up at the giant's slightly confused face. "You don't look like you would have a good time trying to..." She soon stammered as well, rubbing the side of her face with a small blush forming. "That didn't come out right."

"Oh that's fine. I know what you two are talking about." Biclops smiled, raising his hand up. "I'm totally fine standing out here. Besides, it's a little too noisy in there for my liking, anyway." He frowned as he motioned his thumb backwards, right at the building behind him.

Rudy looked at the building and 'listened' to the reverberations in the ground once more. He bit his lip. "Yeah, it does sound like it's really...lively in there."

"Excuse me, mister Biclops, but if you aren't here to join the party..." Penny spoke up. "Then why are you were?"

"To let in guests!" Biclops declared.

Rudy immediately went rigid at this. "Oh man, I totally forgot!" He slapped himself in the forehead as he realized this folly.

"What is it, Rudy?" Penny asked with concern.

Rudy motioned to the other zoners behind them. "We cut in front of them." He rubbed his head, shaking it from side to side as Penny put her hand on his shoulder. "I-I didn't even think of that. With all that was going on..."

"Don't worry about that, Rudy Tabootie." The pale yellow giant said with a zoner. " _Everyone_ here knows you and Penny are the _guests of honor!_ " He raised his hands up at his sides, moving them outward in a welcoming fashion. "Chin up! Just head on inside! No worries!"

Rudy tried to smile in response to this. But he still felt a sense of guilt at what he had done. He wished he had taken the other zoners' thoughts into consideration. Although it was true that none of them seemed all that bothered. _But what if they just..._

Rudy's train of thought was interrupted when he felt Penny's hand grabbing onto him. He coudl barely react as he was suddenly pulled in towards the building with her. He struggled to keep up with he walking, trying hard not to trip up or fall down. He could feel himself being pulled right through the door and immediately he was taken aback by the massive, colorful room he and Penny had just stumbled into.

" _Wow_.. Snap outdid himself, _eh...?_ "

That didn't even cover _half of it_. Rudy was still straining to look around and get a good idea of all that was here. His mind was aching and pounding, trying to adjust to the colorful bright lights. He covered his ears to try to protect them from the loud and booming music, which made him feel almost like he was trapped in an air tight cave. He gritted his teeth as he saw everyone dancing and swaying verywhere, almost like they were trying to fill up every square inch of this room.

 _Just what the heck was going on here?_ He knew that it would have been a big party. He was still happy that Snap managed to achieve what he wanted. But did he _really_ need to go _this_ far? Did he really need to do this despite knowing that he could only fit in _so much?_ He wanted to try to remain supportive, but with his ears nearly bleeding, a part of him wanted to speak up against this.

"Oh hey, here he is." Penny said, speaking loudly enough for him to just barely hear her. "Let's go greet him! I'm sure he's been waiting for us."

Rudy nodded his head in agreement. Without saying another word, the two of them walked through the thick crowd as they tried to locate where their friend was.

But moving through the crowd was a bit more difficult than they had intended it to be. They had to brush by so many zoners and often the spaces were narrow. None of the zoners really seemed bothered by what Rudy was wearing. Not surprising considering the outlandish costumes the others were wearing themselves. But it didn't really make things any easier. It didn't help when Rudy nearly stepped on and ripped up one of the costumes by mistake. He tried to apologize, but the zoner had already moved away from him and was not listening to him. Frustrating, but he tried to concentrate on finding his friend.

After what felt like several long, grueling minutes of traversing through what nearly resembled rush hour on any busy street, Rudy and Penny did manage to locate their friend. They both felt their arms lax at their sides as they both gave a 'you're serious' kind of look.

Of course Snap would be the one to work the music.

Snap was located above them on an overhanging edge attached to the staircase. It looked makeshift, and Rudy and Penny guessed that he had someone help him out with this. It looked a little precarious but it appeared to hold up pretty well. Snap was in front of what looked like a large black box that they guessed controlled the music.

"Bucko! Buckette!" Snap only stopped messing around with the music. He turned the music down slightly. Some zoners in the back groaned in annoyance, but Rudy felt relieved, even if the change was not that much. "Nice of you to _drop in!_ I knew you would make it, I..." As Snap began to climb down, he paused for a second as he took notice of what Rudy was wearing. "Nice costume!"

Rudy felt himself blush a little at this compliment. All of a sudden, his sense of embarrassment returned. He lowered his hand and placed his hands against his stomach, bending his body forward and trying to look small. He looked left and right slowly. "Y-Yeah I guess it's okay. I.."

Penny slung her arm around him and pulled him close. "Oh you aren't getting on about that again, are you?"

"About what?" Snap asked.

Penny looked at Snap. "Oh he's just embarrassed about his costume." It looked like she was about to continue, but she seemed to think better of it and hold her tongue. Rudy was glad for that.

Snap nodded his head slowly. He then looked over at Rudy. A smile spread along his face. "Well you've got no reason to be embarrassed here!" Snap raised his arms up. "Let loose and join the fun!" He jumped up into the air excitedly. " _It's a blast!_ "

Rudy couldn't react in time before Penny and Snap worked together to drag him deeper into the crowd. Rudy attempted to struggle. But they had grabbed him so quickly and so fast that he didn't have time to say anything, not even a single protest. Before he knew it, he was in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by zoners, with Penny near him. Penny had already started to dance as the colorful lights danced over them, but Rudy still remained still.

He stared in silence as Penny swayed herself from side to side. He gulped, feeling a warm blush stretching along his face. He couldn't understand how Penny could do this, in her flower costume, in front of everyone. He felt as though people were staring at him intently. He couldn't shake off the feeling of something being drilled right into him. No matter how hard he tried, this feeling wouldn't go away.

He let out a small yelp as Penny pushed up against him playfully. He moved back from her, holding onto his arm with his hand. He looked at her, ready to speak, only to shut his mouth and turn away. He wasn't really sure what he could say.

"Join the fun, Rudy. There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Penny told him.

"I-I... I don't want..." Rudy tried to say.

"Come here!" Penny reached over and grabbed onto his arms near his wrists. Rudy's body immediately went a little limp, doing little to fight against what Penny was doing, moving him about from side to side, trying to make him move in rhythmn to what she was doing. " _See?_ This isn't _so_ bad."

Rudy tried not to grumble or tremble. "I-I suppose, I..."

Without warning, Rudy could feel himself being grabbed a little more roughly by Penny. Or rather, rough wasn't the term to describe it. Perhaps firm? Either way, he felt himself being dipped down, Penny holding him up with her hands. He looked up at her face, his eyes slowly blinking, and he struggled to say something. He licked his lips slowly as Penny held him there for a few seconds before bringing him back up suddenly and twirling him around. Rudy a little dizzy before Penny stopped him and held him in place.

Rudy looked up at Penny with his mouth open, breathing a little heavily. He could feel his mind swirling about a little as it recovered. Everything around him started to fade as he kept his eyes soley on Penny. Somehow, she did start to look more stunning like this than she normally... The realization caused him to flinch and he looked away.

...only for his face to be guided back towards her and he could feel Penny's lips on his mouth for a brief second. Rudy remained frozen even after Penny parted from him. He wasn't sure how long he stood there before Penny's giggling broke him out of it.

"Why don't we continue?" Penny put her hand on his shoulder and the other on his side. "Let's try moving more slowly, if you prefer that." She started to move him around a little, carefully nudging him to follow in her footsteps. "There you see? Isn't this more fun when you just relax?"

Rudy didn't bother answering. There wasn't really much of a point to that. He knew that Penny would just... Actually, he didn't know what she would do. But he did finally give in and thought, well, maybe this wasn't going to be too bad. He didn't even know why he let himself get so worried earlier. Slowly, he started to try moving on his own, and he eventually forgot about anyone who was watching.

sss

"Whoa that was.." Rudy stuttered. He struggled to move himself forward, but he kept tripping up underneath his feet, nearly slipping down to the ground a few times. If Penny hadn't been helping him keep standing, he probably would have fallen at this point. "I can't believe how _amazing_ that was."

Penny giggled softly as she watched Rudy. She had her arms wrapped around him to make sure that he didn't end up losing his balance. She pushed up against him a little, ensuring that he had her to lean on and had her to use for stabilization. "It wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be, now was it?"

Rudy didn't answer right away. He could feel his mind flashing back to how he had acted before. Not just once, but twice. He could feel a small burning sensation in his stomach spreading, and he bit his lip firmly. He couldn't believe just how much of a coward he had been before. If he had let that fear of his take him over, then he would have missed out on one of the funnest nights he's witnessed in years.

Snap really did know how to throw a good party and he did not disappoint this time around. Although he still couldn't understand that particular choice of music, in the end, Snap still managed to deliver quite a fun and exciting party. It was very lively. Everyone had a great time. Rudy couldn't think of anyone who wasn't swaying about, moving in rhythm with every beat that was delivered by the music that Snap had chosen.

"Yeah, I suppose not." Rudy whispered softly. He turned his head to smile at Penny. "I... I... Thank you for not giving up on me."

Penny smiled back at him as she nodded her head once. "You're very welcome, Rudy." She looked away from him as she stared in the general direction of the portal. "We should head back. I'm sure your folks will soon wonder where you are."

Rudy immediately realized that Penny was right. "Same with your mom. Come on, let's hurry."

The two friends began to head back towards the portal as quickly as they could go. The thought of one of their parents finding out about ChalkZone chilled their blood. While the chances of that were pretty low at this point during the day, they still felt wary of the whole thing. There was good reason to be nervous around the idea and the last thing they wanted to do was accidentally underestimate their parents come back and find them outside of the portal, waiting for them.

Thankfully that didn't happen this time. When they arrived back, it was just how it always was. The two fifteen year olds were able to climb out without much trouble and there didn't seem to be anything going on. The room was empty like usual and they weren't hearing their parents calling out their names, which is consistent to how it always had been. This served as a reminder that, no, their parents still didn't know that they had been doing anything.

That wasn't of too much comfort to Rudy, however. He still had some wariness and tension over the whole thing and rightfully so. Ever since Terry and Vinnie's crusade in exposing ChalkZone, being on his toes was the best principal. He needed to be prepared for the worst.

But for the time being, he and Penny decided that it was best to try to relax. They didn't really need this all weighing down upon them right now. After all that dancing back at the party, neither of them needed anymore excitement. In fact, Rudy was nearly ready to just collapse in bed. Dreamland sounded really enticing right about now.

But he wasn't able to get too far before he heard something shouting loudly, echoing throughout the air.

" _Rudy! Can you hear me? You need to come down here!_ " It was his mother. He'd recognize that sing-along voice anywhere.

Rudy and Penny both froze. They turned their heads to stare at one another. They tried to think of just how they were going to go about this. Should they both go down at the same time? Would Rudy's parents question how Penny got there? Did they just want to speak to Rudy alone?

And just what did they want, anyway? They normally didn't speak up like this at this time. He thought that his dad would be busy watching sports or figuring out his butchery, and he thought his mom would be too busy doing the dishes or cooking dinner to call out for him. He wasn't upset by it. He was just having a hard time fully understanding the line of thinking here. Well he might as well go and find out just what that is.

"Should..." Penny started to speak. She stopped herself for a few seconds before she forced herself to continue, "Should I just wait up here then? _Or...?_ "

Rudy thought about this for a few moments. While he did understand her nervousness and he was a bit on the fence himself, he did soon decide that it just didn't really matter. He couldn't fathom his parents being upset, even if they were a little confused. Besides, he would rather not go this alone. Having Penny as company would help him out mentally, he thought. Though how silly was that? It was just his parents and he just...

He nodded his head. "You can come with." He turned his head and stared towards his door. "Let's not keep my folks waiting for too long."

Indeed, as soon as they started to walk, Rudy could hear his mom calling out for him again. She didn't sound upset, but he still found himself flinching anyway. He stopped for a brief second to recollect himself. After he exhaled slowly, he got himself to continue out the door and down the steps slowly. It didn't take long to reach the bottom and he and Penny, who stood behind him, approached slowly, trying to see where his parents were.

" _Over here!_ " His father called out.

The two teeangers swerved their heads over...

...and they immediately saw that not only were both of Rudy's parents in the kitchen, but there was another person there with them. Someone whom Rudy did not recognize at all. The fact that she wasn't Terry didn't exactly make him feel any better, though.

After a few moments of silence, he said, "Mom? Dad? Who is...? Who is this?" Rudy tried his best not to sound rude. He didn't mean to sound that way, but he couldn't help but feel... His emotions were a little difficult to describe at this point.

"This is Ms. Saffron." His dad said, motioning to her. "She said she wanted to speak with you."

His mom nodded her head slowly. "I think you might be interested."

Rudy blinked a few times at this. He glanced over at Penny, whom his parents hadn't yet said a word about. He wasn't really sure how to feel about that, or what his parents said about this Ms. Saffron person. Was she really here just to speak with him? And if so, just what could that be? No matter how hard he looked into Penny's eyes, even she did not have the answer to that question.

Still, he didn't want to be rude. He tried his best to smile as he made his way over towards the woman. "H-Hi. I-I'm... Rudy." He wanted to kick himself for being so awkward.

Though Penny didn't need to say anything, she still felt compelled to be at least a little polite and say, "And I'm Penny."

Ms. Saffron nodded her head slowly. "Pleased to meet you both."

Rudy watched as the woman slowly got up out of her seat. He took a small step back as he observed one thing about that immediately. And that was just how tall she was. She was slightly taller than his dad, and her body thickness was between his dad and his mom's. Her hair was straight and blonde and her eyes a light hazel. They almost reminded him of his own eyes somehow.

Her outfit didn't look similar to anything he's seen Terry wear. Maybe she wasn't a reporter like he almost thought a second ago. But it was clear she was still, probably at least, associated with some sort of business. She wore no card but the way that she carried herself in that white blouse paired up with a light grey skirt, it all strongly suggested an air of professionalism. This woman meant business, which helped ease some of his slight fears of this being some sort of front.

It took a little while, longer than he thought, before he could feel as though he could relax a little more. The woman standing in front of him, towering over him and looking almost ominous with how the light shined behind her, making her look much darker in comparison... Something about that made this whole thing seem more sinister than it really was.

Rudy finally broke out of his thoughts as he did his best to smile at the woman and reach his hand out towards her. He could feel her squeeizng his hand firmly as she shook his hand up and down. He couldn't help but flinch at this. Even though he knew she couldn't have squeezed that hard, he still felt as though that was going to leave an indentation. He looked down at his hand to make sure that nothing had happened.

"It is a pleasure to finally meat you. I'm sure you must have a lot of questions." Ms. Saffron stated. She gave Rudy a small, very faint smile as she put her hand around him and guided him over towards the table. "I do feel that we have much to discuss... But I have to keep this brief. I hope you won't mind."

Rudy turned his head to stare at Penny with the corner of his eye. She just shrugged her shoulders, clearly unable to answer or give him advice. A part of Rudy wondered if she was trying to purposely put herself a bit low, out of the 'spotlight' per say, because who knows how long it'll be before his parents...

"I do think that we could help one another." Ms. Saffron's voice cut him out of his current mindset. Rudy shook his head a few times as he stared up at her, blinking slowly. He struggled not to feel intimidated by her large height. "I think that, if you agree to this, then we might have a happy future together."

Rudy immediately flinched at this. Ms. Saffron took immediate notice.

" _Er_ , I meant something different. Don't worry." Rudy wasn't completely at ease at this statement, but he did at least try to relax himself a little. He swallowed hard as he waited for the woman to continue. "I was just going to ask if you would like to join in a series of tests."

Penny raised her finger up slightly. "Tests, you say? Like standardized testing?"

"Something like that." Rudy's mother said. "It's also..."

The large woman was interrupted as Ms. Saffron spoke up, talking over the parents with relative ease. "Maybe you could compare it to that. But this is better than that old thing. This has been created and managed by Mr. Cosmo himself." Rudy felt something prick up inside of him. _There was something about that name that was familiar..._ "Mr. Cosmo has been looking through school after school and out of all the ones he's seen, Plainville High School has shown the most promise."

"Oh really?" Penny put her hands on her hips. "And why is that?"

Ms. Saffron seemed almost hesitant to answer. "He thinks the students here are... _gifted_. He hopes that this test will help him find the most gifted students. From there, he would begin to..."

"Gifted? What do you mean? _I..._ " Rudy tried to think of how to continue his question. A part of him just couldn't understand where this woman was coming fom. Just what was her idea? "This doesn't..."

"I know it's confusing." Ms. Saffron spoke, her voice taking on an apologetic tone. She leaned back and looked at everyone in the room. She went quiet for a few moments before she got herself to continue talking. "But I can assure you that all will become clear tomorrow."

Rudy's parents glanced at each other.

"What do you mean, tomorrow?" Mr. Tabootie asked.

"Oh that's right, I forgot to tell you." Ms. Saffron's smile spread along her face. "Mr. Cosmo's going to come over for a visit at your school." She said, staring at Rudy and Penny intently. "He hopes that this test could be the beginning of doing _a lot_ of _good_ for the world. Would you like to be part of that?"

While Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie seemed pretty happy about this, Rudy and Penny just had no idea what to say.


	4. An Unexpected Visitor

So this was it. Today was the day. Rudy had no idea what to expect from this. He had no idea how things were going to go today. He only knew that Mr. Wilter was getting the class prepared for a 'surprise guest', although there was no reason to keep it a secret. What was the point in all of that when Ms. Saffron had _already_ taken the time to speak to several students? It wasn't just him and Penny that she took time out of the day to talk to.

He was still confused by the purpose of that, though. Rudy didn't fully get why she would do that. And just what was her relationship to Mr. Cosmo, anyway? Was he her boss? Was she his boss? An assistant? She didn't really tell them. He went out on a limb here and just guessed that she was his assistant. It seemed to make the most sense to him.

He drew in a deep breath and he let out a small sigh. He had his hands placed on the cool desk, fiddling with his thumbs slowly, rapidly, interchanging constantly. He looked out ahead as Mr. Wilter got some of the paperwork ready. Occassionally, his eyes would shift over to the door, half expecting Mr. Cosmo to come bursting in.

He then looked over at where Penny was. She wasn't looking at him, instead focusing on Mr. Wilter. She was leaning forward a little, her arms tucked up against her chest as though for support. A part of Rudy did want to speak to her, have some kind of support, but that wasn't possible in class. They sat a good distancea way from each other. Probably deliberately done that way by Mr. Wilter... Rudy grumbled as he continued to wait for things to start.

Finally, after what seemed to be forever, Mr. Wilter dropped a heavy load of papers on his desk, creating an even larger pile, and he started to speak.

" _Students!_ "

Everyone nearly jolted at this, straightening up quickly in their desks as they waited to hear what the old teacher was about to say.

"Now as you might have read on the board..." Mr. Wilter slapped a long, wooden stick on the chalkboard, creating a loud cracking sound that made the students flinch. "..we have a special guest today. His name is Mr. Cosmo and you will show up the utmost respect." He turned around, folding his arms behind his back as he glared at the students before him. The way he carried himself looked more cocky than it usually was. "I will not tolerate any tomfoolery while he is here. Do I make myself _clear?_ "

None of the students spoke up at this. Rudy felt a little surprised by this as he looked around. Even Reggie remained quiet, and he was the one who usually had something to say. Rudy suspected that this was part of why Ms. Saffron spoke to the students directly. Perhaps she was aware of the unruly nature of some students?

Rudy looked back at Mr. Wilter, who was giving the students ample time to speak. Was he _really_ expecting someone to talk back? Even after the students nodded slowly, acknowledging what he said, Mr. Wilter still took the time to stare at them this way. Rudy felt his teeth pressing up against his lip and he swallowed hard. For a brief moment, things felt a little...strange. He managed to shake off the feeling and attributed it to him just being unaware of the full situation. For all he knew, Mr. Cosmo was an idol of his teacher's, which would explain...

" _Good!_ " Mr. Wilter's voice struck through the air, cutting Rudy off from his thoughts. "Now let's not waste anymore time. Here is our guest for the day. Let me introduce to you..." He motioned to the door. "... _Mr. Cosmo!_ "

Rudy rolled his eyes at this. What, did Mr. Wilter think that this was a game show or something? Why the dramatic pose and way of speaking?

He immediately stopped himself when he heard the door opening up. He turned his head and he watched as some man walked in quickly, each stride filled with such confidence that it put even the most cocky zoners he's met to shame. It seemed to take only a fraction of a second before the man, this 'guest' that Mr. Wilter called him, stood in front of the classroom.

The man stood relatively tall, but to Rudy's surprise, he did seem slightly shorter than Ms. Saffron. He wore a business suit like she did, although the pointed ends seemed to hand down a bit lower than Ms. Saffron's blouse for some reason. He had a plain tie that he adjusted quickly, and the overall outfit had a green color scheme to it. Even his straight pants that hung close to his legs, which he would think would have been black or grey, were instead green.

The man's face looked like it was freshly shaven, and his eyes, which were blue-grey in color, almost seemed to glow from where they were situated in his face. His hair was red and slightly curly, and he stood there with a hardened yet still welcoming expression. His mouth corners were curled up slightly as he looked around the room, his arms folded behind his back.

And every once of him just oozed of pride and confidence.

Rudy had no idea how to feel about that.

Mr. Wilter took a few steps forward. "Now, Mr. Cosmo is here to give you students an important test and..."

"And it's going to help this town and perhaps the world become better." Reggie said, his hand raised up. "We _already_ know this."

Mr. Wilter blinked a few times. "You did? _How_..."

Mr. Cosmo answered quickly. "Oh I had Ms. Saffron..." He noticed the look in Mr. Wilter's eyes. "Someone who works for me. Anyway, I had her go and talk with some of the students." He raised his hand up in gesture. "I figured it would be best that they have an idea on what is going to happen."

"I see." Mr. Wilter nodded his head slowly. He stood there for a few seconds, fidgeting slightly. He looked like he was struggling to speak. Rudy was surprised that he was this affected by this turn of events. It seemed so minor. Finally, Mr. Wilter licked his lips and nodded his head to Mr. Cosmo. "Okay then. You seem to have things under control. You may proceed."

And with that, Mr. Wilter sat down in his chair. He had pulled it away from the desk in order to give Mr. Cosmo the room that he needed to manuever around. Rudy watched Mr. Wilter very carefully, trying to take note of his expressin. The old teacher did quickly take on a more stern look like he usually had, and he was back to silently judging the students, which he did even without someone like this coming in to speak with his class.

But there was still something about Mr. Wilter's expression that seemed a little off to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was like... He wasn't sure if he could describe it to anyone who asked. It just felt like Mr. Wilter was...upset with Mr. Cosmo for some reason. Did he feel as though the man stole his thunder? That seemed pretty childish, but this was Mr. Wilter after all. _Maybe..._

Rudy gritted his teeth. He was probably making a big deal out of nothing. He needed to stay focused. He remembered that speech he had with Ms. Saffron nad he knew that his parents were relying on him doing a good job. He didn't really know how well he could possibly perform and he still felt that this man was better off going somewhere else for 'talent' as he would call it. Surely there were better qualified students than him.

The green-suited man began to speak.

"Greetings, students. I'm sure by now you know who I am. I am Mr. Cosmo for those still unaware." He placed a hand to his chest for a brief second. "I have been scouring cities, looking for the perfect school to begin a dry run on my test that I put together. Now if you are familiar with standardized testing, it's sort of like that, but better. You see, standardized testing _doesn't really_ narrow down your skills _that well._ " He raised his hand up in gesture. "But my test will delve in deeper. It will help hone in and discover what your skills are, even if you are unaware of them yourselves. And then you will discover your _passion and..._ "

The man stopped as he looked around the room. The students were blinking at him slowly. He was getting a little theatrical with this now. Not that it was a bad thing. Rudy couldn't doubt that he could feel himself getting _a little_ excited over this. Even Penny seemed interested, even if her expression suggested that was she was not completely certain.

Mr. Cosmo seemed aware of how he was taking things and he immediately cleared his throat, his hand curled up into a slight fist as he coughed into it. He readjusted himself, straightened his back, and he resumed talking, this time in a calmer, more collected voice.

"I do believe that this test has the potential to change the world. Imagine what kind of future that might be, where everyone has some kind of purpose." Mr. Cosmo smiled broadly as he said this. "Imagine a future where even the _so-called_ _'lowly artist'_ has a leg to stand on above everyone else."

Rudy couldn't help but flinch at this. He thought he could see Mr. Wilter shift uncomfortably and Penny's frown had apparently deepened. The other students didn't seem bothered by this and none of them noticed how he was feeling.

And yet despite that, a part of Rudy still felt excited for this. A part of him still wanted to be a part of this. Somehow, that one insensitive comment made him fill up with more excitement and energy. He really wanted to get started...and he didn't know where this energy had come from.

Mr. Cosmo moved towards the papers and he scooped them up into his arms. He looked even more arrogant as he moved along the rows of desks, handing out the paperwork, each one filled with thick lines of questions. "I will give you all an hour to complete this. But I don't think half of you really need that time limit. You could finish it faster..." There almost seemed to be a twinkle in his eyes. He stopped next to Rudy, staring down at him. Rudy couldn't turn away. " _...couldn't you...?_ "

Rudy had no idea if the man was speaking to him or not. Mr. Cosmo didn't spend long beside his desk before he dropped the paper down. Somehow even that thin sheet of paper had slammed against the table with great force. Or perhaps that was just his imagination.

"The test will begin... _now_."

Rudy took one glance at Penny, seeing how she already had her pencil raised up and started to fill it in. He then looked down at his paper. He pressed his teeth against his lips. He still wasn't completely certain of this test. He still had some questions about it and he still wondered how this man felt that this could change the world. It looked like any ordinary test to him.

But still, he did like the idea of being able to help people. If he and the others could all contribute by doing this test, probably the first time it was ever used, and if Mr. Cosmo could improve upon that... Rudy couldn't help but smile. He did really like the idea of being part of something helpful. So without another thought, he raised his pencil and started.

sss

 _There. The test was finally done._ The students had been dismissed. Mr. Cosmo had already left, having thanked him for his time. The room had been emptied as the school was getting into its shut down hours. It was the end of another long day.

Mr. Wilter was doing what he normally did at the end of each day. He got the papers from the students' original homework and piled them up to take home with him. He would spend a few hours in the night grading them so that they could be handed back when the next school day started. Even on days when he didn't need to do this right away, he always made sure it was done on that night. He wanted to set an example for the students.

Today didn't feel like an ordinary day, however. And that was because it wasn't.

A part of him wondered if it really was a good idea to let Mr. Cosmo in here and test his students. He knew how the man could be. And yet he still felt... _drawn_ to this whole thing. He still felt excited, and a part of him wasn't completely sure why. He knew there had to be a reason for it, even if he couldn't think of it just yet.

He tried to push it off out of his head. He might just be overexaggerating things. Maybe he was making a big deal out of nothing. Not everything that he thought would happen did happen. Maybe he was freaking out over Mr. Cosmo for no particualr reason.

He tried to make himself feel happy for what he had done. Maybe Mr. Cosmo's test, even if it...wasn't what he claimed it was, would inspire his students to try harder. Maybe this would lead to better grades. It just might lead to a brighter future for everyone. Perhaps this was not going to be so bad after all.

 _He just hoped that he wasn't going regret this decision._

sss

"Well at least we got it done and over with." Said Rudy, raising his hand up in gesture. "It wasn't as bad as I thought. Those questions were pretty easy." He leaned back against the wall behind him, his body supported by the soft cushioning of the bed. "I don't know why you're getting _this_ upset."

"But something about it didn't seem right. You thought it too!" Penny pointed a finger at Rudy. " _I saw what you did!_ "

Rudy looked down at Penny's finger. He gritted his teeth softly as he looked away. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Penny glared more deeply, releasing a low growl. "You sure as heck know what I'm talking about. Don't act like you don't know." Penny stared at Rudy for a few moments before she leaned in towards him. "You know as well as I do that something is a bit off about that man and this test of his." She went quiet for about a minute. When she didn't get any sort of response, she continued, " _Rudy..._ I know that you were thinking it. Just because Mr. Cosmo gave you a pat on the back _doesn't_ mean that you can just throw away _all_ suspicion."

Rudy continued to try to ignore Penny a little, but he quickly found that he just couldn't do that to his best friend. He soon let out a small sigh as he turned around to face her. The two of them locked eyes for several long moments, neither of them attempting to speak up over the other.

Rudy let his mind wander a little. He felt his eyes turning downwards just ever so slightly. He thought back to how he had been acting ever since they came back. He did realize that he might have gotten a little too carried away. He was just so excited about the prospect of helping people. He had forgotten about his original suspicions and he wanted to give Mr. Cosmo the benefit of the doubt. Even _Mr. Wilter_ seemed willing to do that. So why couldn't Penny?

 _And yet..._

He let out a small sigh. "Yeah I know. You're right." He bowed his head a little more. "I'm sorry."

Penny reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him, but he could tell that it was shaky and uncertain. "I can understand. I'm sorry if I was a little too pushy." She kept her hand on his shoulder for a few moments before she eventually pulled back. "I just hope that you don't..."

"I won't. I promise." Rudy didn't need to hear her in full to know what she was going to say.

The two friends sat quietly, both thinking of what happened earlier today. Even though they were in Penny's room, resting, none of them could really feel as though they were truly out of that classroom. The test wasn't even that intense. But there was something about it and Mr. Cosmo that made them continue thinking about it. It wouldn't leave them. It was almost like a plague.

 _Had this been intentional?_ Was Mr. Cosmo's goal to create a test that was _so_ memorable that students wouldn't stop thinking about it? Did he believe that, by doing so, he could get the students to care more about testing and thus get them to work harder at it?

This was all plausible. He did say that he wanted to help change the world. One of the biggest reasons a lot of students fail is because they are not taught in a good way. They aren't interested. They can't stay focused. If this test really was designed to make students actually pay attention, well they would congratulate Mr. Cosmo on a job well done. It did seem to work.

But Penny did have a point about something being a little off about this. It did seem almost impossible that this backwater town would be the one first chosen for a dry run of the test. There were other towns more suitable the last he checked. Especially ones closer to where Mr. Cosmo's main headquarters were. Rudy slowly licked his lips as he felt his throat going dry. He didn't want to obsess over this, but he did feel the questions starting to form.

There was still much that neither of them really understood. There was still more to this man that they could see and they knew it. There was something that he wanted. They both wanted to believe that he was being sincere, and he most likely was. There wasn't too much strongly they felt about him that negated this. _But after dealing with the likes of Terry and Vinnie..._ Yeah, it might be best to err on the side of caution.

Rudy tried not to think about it too much. They weren't really going to get much done if they focused so much on that. They might end up creating false fear and tension, and that isn't what they needed. Especially not after they had went to such a great party.

Speaking of...

"Hey, do you think we should visit Snap?" Rudy suggested. "I'm sure he must be done cleaning up that huge mess by now."

Penny released a chuckle, obviously forced. "And I'm sure he'll be happy to see us. Sure, that does sound like a pretty good idea, Rudy. Let's get going."

Rudy did feel a small pang of guilt for pushing aside such an important topic, and he did realize just how important it was to keep focus on these suspicions. Not obsess, but at least acknowledge them. But for now, he and Penny made their way into ChalkZone to speak with their friend.

sss

It was practically like night and day.

What was once a room filled with zoners and lights and confetti and music was now empty and almost barren. It wasn't really abandoned of course. Snap still occupied this house. Not like he left. But it was still such a sharp contrast to his party from before that it felt... _empty._

"That _does sound_ like some _weird_ test you two took." Snap commented. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he stared at the two of them. It was almost like he was judging them. "You certain that they were just..."

Rudy nodded his head. "Yeah. This Mr. Cosmo fellow promised that it was for the good of the world."

Penny wanted to agree with that on some level. But a part of her just...couldn't. She still found herself narrowing her eyes a little and gritting her teeth. She still felt as though something was off. But she didn't want to bring up too much suspicion without evidence first.

It was just...not constructed the way she would normally see a test. She did not even know how to describe it. It was almost like the test was sucking her in and she thought she could feel a small, tingly sensation. She did manage to shake it off, of course, and in the end, she might be a little paranoid. But she still couldn't help but wonder if something were going on.

Penny softly spoke up, "That's what he claims, anyway."

Snap rubbed his chin thoughtfully, a slight frown developing on his face. Not one of anger, but one that hinted at something else, like he had an idea or something. Penny learned how to recognize this look. "Do you want me to do something? I mean, I could find where his chalkboard is and..."

"No, that isn't necessary. We don't have a reason yet to spy on him." Said Rudy.

"And besides..." Penny raised her hand up in gesture. "We don't even know if he has a chalkboard or not. And he lives pretty far away." She clasped her hands together. "We couldn't ask you to go all the way over there _just because_ of a few little suspicions."

"You guys could draw me something I could use." Snap said, leaning himself forward. "I don't mind checking things out for you. I could even spread the word to other zoners and they could see if they could find a chalkboard that's suspicious."

Rudy and Penny stared at each other and then back at Snap as they thought about this long and hard. The offer was a little tempting. Especially for Penny, who couldn't fully shake off that something might be going on. Maybe it was the way that the man had carried himself. Maybe it was how she couldn't think of how he would pick this place over others. Maybe it was how Mr. Wilter reacted to him. He just...didn't sit well with her.

 _And that test..._ How was _that_ a test? It wasn't... It still had questions and a similar structure. But it didn't feel like... Penny struggled to shake that thought out of her head. She was going to give herself a headache if she kept thinking about that.

She eventually found her voice and started to speak, albeit in a more hushed voice than she had thought. "We appreciate the offer, Snap. Really... But perhaps that's something that we should wait until we have something before we..." She fumbled her hands together. "You know what I mean, I'm sure."

Snap folded his arms and shook his head once. "Not at all."

Rudy said, "I think what Penny is trying to say is that maybe we should wait until we have evidence before we go snooping around."

" _Oh_... I see. I guess that makes sense." Snap rubbed the side of his head briefly. "Might as well give it a little time. Who knows?" He held his hand up, motioning slighlty to no one in particular. "Maybe this guy isn't so bad."

Penny nodded her head slowly. "I do hope that's the case." She let the thoughts move through her head a little more and she felt herself narrowing her eyes a little more. "I _really_ hope so."

The three friends fell silent as they looked at one another. No one said a word. They both agreed that, with this situation, they had to be careful. They couldn't afford to screw up.


	5. Proposition

" _This_ boy? This boy right here?" Ms. Saffron asked, her mind crowding up with several questions. She stared at Mr. Cosmo, looking for answers. But she could find none. " _Are you serious?_ "

"I assure you, Ms. Saffron, I am." Mr. Cosmo nodded his head slowly. His hands were placed at his sides as his head tilted the millimeter it needed to completely meet the woman's gaze. Despite this, Ms. Saffron still felt smaller than him. "Do you have a _problem?_ "

Ms. Saffron looked down at the paper that she held. She bit her lip, feeling as though she was going to cut into the skin. "It's not that. I just..." She scanned her eyes up and down repeatedly. She struggled to see if there was anything here at all that would explain why Mr. Cosmo wanted to choose this person above everyone else. But nothing came to mind.

Mr. Cosmo took a step forward. He reached over and grabbed the piece of paper, startling the woman. She watched as he turned and walked away slowly. "Ms. Saffron, I do hope that you trust my judgment. I told you that I came here looking for at least one particular student." He held the paper up. "I think that this boy is whom I _need._ "

Ms. Saffron stammered, " _O-O-Of course I believe you!_ " She held her hands together as she moved in closer. She looked at the man, her eyes wide in desperation. " _I'm sorry if I offended you!_ "

Mr. Cosmo looked over his shoulder. "You're forgiven." Though the smile was not too reassuring, Ms. Saffron still silently thankeed him. "Now listen carefully." Ms. Saffron went silent. "I want you to go to this boy's house and..."

Ms. Saffron listened, staring at the photo attached to the test paper.

 _Rudy Tabootie._

sss

Well this had happened more quickly than Rudy had expected. He would have thought that it would take more time for those papers to get graded. There were several pages involved and there were several students and Mr. Wilter and Mr. Cosmo were both going to grade it _and..._

Rudy shook his head mentally once to get those thoughts out of his head. He grabbed onto his head with one hand and rubbed it firmly. He tried to fight against the weird sensation that he was feeling, his eyes blinking slowly. He looked around as he took note of his surroundings.

He was sitting in the living room, waiting for a knock on the door. His parents had gotten a call about Ms. Saffron stopping by to inform him of the test results. Rudy thought that it would have happened at a later time, but here, the following day, she was coming. He could feel himself swallowing hard and tasting something bitter in his mouth. He gave a quick shudder as he glanced around at his parents. At least he wasn't the only one here worrying about this.

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie were sitting on either side of him. They were fidgeting a little. The television was on, but nothing was playing. It was just a slight static sound if anything. His parents had somewhat slightly calm faces, but that was only on the surface. He could see a few twitches in their facial expressions that showed that they were a lot more nervous than they were letting on. Rudy tried to think of something to say to help calm them down and reassure them. But really, just what could he say to them?

Rudy turned his attention back to the door. He continued to wait for Ms. Saffron's arrival. He tried not to fidget too much, although he did feel his leg constantly tapping no matter what he did.

He just couldn't help it. He couldn't blame his parents for being nervous, as so was he. He didn't want to keep sitting here, waiting longer and longer for the results. After how this was inflated to be really important, something that might change everything, he wanted to know how he did. He wanted to see just what his participation was going to do.

His nervousness around the situation only grew worse as time went on. He felt his tongue gliding over his teeth and his fingernails pressing against his skin as he struggled to handle his tense emotions that were swirling up inside of him. He wasn't entirely sure how to handle it. He hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. In fact, he couldn't remember a time that he was nervous to this degree. _Was he overreacting or...?_

He took in a deep breath and sighed. He tried to remind himself of Penny's words. It was going to be fine. Ms. Saffron was not going to hurt him or humiliate him or anything. She was just going to give the test results and she was going to tell him what Mr. Cosmo thought of it. Nothing really strange or anything. He didn't really need to be this worried or this upset over it. He could try to chill and it was going to be fine.

So why couldn't he fully shake it off? Why was he still acting this way? Why was he still apprehensive? He had to fight so hard to keep his body from shaking. If he thought his parents were anxious, he was the one who was a nervous wreck. Even gentle shoulder and arm squeezes and gentle words from his parents weren't enough to settle him down completely. He just couldn't...

There was a knock on the door. Rudy could feel himself immediately jumping from the chair.

" _I'll get it!_ " He shouted as he rushed towards the door.

It was funny, really. He was really nervous about this and yet he was the first one who wanted to answer the door. He wasn't entirely sure how he could reconcile this in his mind. But he decided to just push it aside for now and just keep going.

In a matter of seconds, he reached the door. He could hear his parents behind him. They were getting up as well, moving towards him to see what was going on. Rudy grabbed onto the door knob and he turned it quickly. He pulled it open so fast that he nearly fell down to the ground. He held onto the door, leaning against it for balance, as he stared intently at the woman who stood there, her eyes blinking in confusion.

"Did... I come at a _bad_ time?" Ms. Saffron asked in a quiet tone of voice. "If I did, I would be more than happy to just..."

Rudy shook his head and stammered, "N-N-No, it's all right. I'm j-j-just..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the statement. His voice was shaking way too much.

Fortunately, it would seem that Ms. Saffron understood completely where he was coming from. "That's fine. I understand. I can see how this can be a really... _Well..._ " She stroked her long, slender fingers through their hair. She turned her head to the side as she cleared her throat. She then looked back at Rudy and opened her mouth to speak. Then she appeared to notice his parents coming up from behind. "Is it alright if I enter?"

Rudy's father nodded his head once. "We've been expecting you."

"I'm sure you have." Ms. Saffron let slip. She flinched briefly but then resumed her more professional look. She walked in, guided by Mr. Tabootie who took her into the living room where they were waiting.

"Why don't you sit on the couch? It's a little more comfortable than just standing up." Mrs. Tabootie suggested upon noticing that Ms. Saffron hadn't tried to sit down yet.

The blonde woman raised her hand up and shook it from side to side. "No thanks, I'm good right here." She sat down her briefcase on the ground. She flipped it open and began to rummage through the papers. "This won't take long, really. Just let me find the paperwork and..." Her voice trailed off as she searched through her briefcase.

Rudy couldn't help but stare with a sense of anxiety growing inside of him. He felt his stomach twisting inside of him and he tried to keep himself as steady as possible. He shouldn't be so nervous about this. He kept telling himself this over and over again. He took in a deep breath and he exhaled slowly. No matter what, he needed to remind himself that this was just a visit and nothing bad was going to happen and... Well, he just had to wait and see.

After a few seconds, Ms. Saffron appeared to have found what she was looking for. She pulled out the sheets of paper. She brushed them off and straightened them out in the air. She looked at them again, moving her eyes up and down in a cursory movement to make sure this is what she was looking for. Then she took a few steps towards the waiting family, who were looking intently at her.

The first thing that came out of her mouth was a statement that caught both Rudy's and his parents' attention immediately.

"Your test scores caught Mr. Cosmo's attention, Rudy." Ms. Saffron said. As Rudy and his parents watched intently, their hearts burning with eagerness, she continued, "He was impressed with _how well_ you had performed. He was so impressed in fact, that he wanted me to come over and congratulate you in person."

Rudy could feel a smile forming on his face. Despite not knowing what kind of score he got, despite not knowing exactly where this was going to take him, he still felt rather excited about the whole thing. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and he could feel his finger tips tingling slightly. He waited to hear what else she had to say.

His parents, however, had something else in mind. Sort of. They were not frowning or anything. But he couldn't sense as much excitement out of them. It took him a few moments to realize that this strange aura that he was feeling with them was just... curiosity. And that curiosity immediately showed as Mr. Tabootie spoke up.

"What kind of score are we talking about?" The scrawny man held his hand up in gesture. Ms. Saffron stared at him. "You tell us that our boy scored really well. So what did he get? How many points were there possible?"

Ms. Saffron bit her lip at this. She looked a little hesitant. Rudy caught this and he wasn't really sure what to make of it. He tried to relax himself and he tried not to make a big deal out of it. It was probably nothing anyway.

But then...

"I'm afraid I _can't_ release _that_ information."

Rudy blinked his eyes a few times as he stared at Ms. Saffron, wondering what to make of what she just said. He then turned his head to look at his parents. They looked just as surprised as well. They looked at her with wide eyes as the moments ticked by. Then after a while, he noticed that they were staring to glare at her. Rudy cringed slightly, though still managing to keep himself under control. He looked back at Ms. Saffron. He hoped that this was not going to lead into what he thought it would.

His dad was the first one to walk over. He wasn't being really rude about it or anything. But it was clear that he was definitely not entirely happy with the woman. "What do you mean you can't? You come all the way over here to just tell us our son did well but you don't tell us what the score was?"

Mrs. Tabootie nodded her head in agreement, her eyes narrowed. "I would think that this meeting would have more to it than just..."

" _Believe me_ , I do understand your frustrations. But I _have_ to follow orders." Ms. Saffron stated. "Mr. Cosmo doesn't want me to tell you the score _here._ "

Rudy asked in a hushed voice. "Wh-Why is _that?_ Did I do..."

"I _already_ told you, boy. You did _well._ " Ms. Saffron smiled, though it was shaky and easy to tell that she was just trying to cheer him up a little. Rudy wasn't sure if he could feel comforted by this sort of smile. "Mr. Cosmo really was impressed. It's just that he..."

Rudy's mom narrowed her eyes a little further. "It's just that _what?_ "

Ms. Saffron went silent for a few seconds as she looked at everyone. She cleared her throat again, this time sound more strained and a little more painful than before. She quickly readjusted herself, her hands folding behind her back as she stared at the parents, and then at Rudy specifically. He gulped and he took a small step back. The teenager's mind seemed to spin uncontrollably as he waited for a statement.

And then, in a voice filled with some level of confidence and even a tiny bit of sympathy, Ms. Saffron said, "Mr. Cosmo would like to see you _in person_ to discuss this."

Rudy and his parents had no idea how to respond to that.

sss

"What? _Really?_ She _just_... came over just to tell you that Mr. Cosmo wanted you to come over for a visit? He couldn't do that _himself?_ " Penny stared at Rudy, who hadj ust finished telling the story of what happened. She had her eyes narrowed, a level of suspicion crawling through her head. "That's just... I don't know, Rudy."

The male teen didn't make any sort of gesture agreeing or disagreeing. But he did say, "It is confusing, I will tell you that." He looked away slowly. "Like..how am I supposed to take all of this? What should I think? What should I do?" He rubbed his forehead gently. "I didn't expect something like that to happen."

"Well I can't say I did, either." Penny smiled as Rudy turned to give her a look. "Yeah I know that was obvious But..." Penny watched as Rudy looked away once more. She tried her best to soften up her expression. "Rudy, I am sure that..." She stopped herself, unsure of just how to continue.

The two friends went quiet for several moments as they tried to make all of this out. It did feel a little strange that Ms. Saffron wouldn't just...tell Rudy over the phone that there was to be a meeting elsewhere. It would have been faster, saved so much time, and it wouldn't have wasted gas. Penny couldn't imagine just how much gas was wasted just for Ms. Saffron to come over and tell Rudy this in person. Or was _that_ part of Mr. Cosmo's orders _as well?_

Penny wasn't really sure where she stood with Mr. Cosmo. This whole thing did still seem a little odd. But she didn't see anything really wrong with the test. Granted it was not like any test she's seen before. But as she thought about it, she realized that perhaps her misgivings about it earlier were based on quick assumptions and exaggerations. There wasn't really anything that popped out about the test.

She sat next to her friend as they leaned up against the wall behind them. Penny had come over to visit Rudy, but he wanted to speak outside for some reason. Not that there was any danger to it. They weren't talking about ChalkZone, after all. Penny tried to just mark it off as him just wanting to avoid his parents getting in on the conversation. That was understandable. From what she gathered, his parents were confused as well, albeit more excited than Rudy.

She couldn't really think of just how to approach this topic with Rudy outside of what she already said. She didn't know how she could cheer him up or help him feel better or how to help him not be so nervous about this. She could tell that he didn't want to feel this way. _It was just..._ Well, that was a little complicated.

Rudy broke the silence.

"I am not sure why Mr. Cosmo wouldn't have wanted her to tell me my score right then and there. I just..." Rudy's gaze was upwards a little. "You would think that he wouldn't have a problem with that." He lowered his head back to its normal position. He turned to look at Penny. "You don't think he has anything to hide?"

Penny was slightly taken aback by that statement. All she could manage to do was shrug. Her voice failed her in that moment and she felt a level of shame for it. She wished she could have said something.

Rudy sighed as he lowered his gaze, staring at the ground in front of him. He shuffled his feet a little, pushing his feet against the dirt and grass, moving it around a little. "I do hope there is a _good_ reason for that. I hope Mr. Cosmo has an explanation. _I mean_... there really wasn't a reason why she couldn't tell me in the house. Privacy wasn't a concern. I don't have countless people coming in and listening to what I am saying." He paused as he looked back at Penny, giving a soft frown. "And there was no reason why Ms. Saffron couldn't have called me to schedule the meeting. I thought Mr. Cosmo was supposed to be... I mean... Isn't he the _leader_ or something? Surely he would have known that..."

Rudy stopped himself. He grunted a few times as he looked left and right. It was clear he was having a hard time speaking. He eventually forced out a sigh as he raised his hand up in gesture.

"I would think that he would have had the foresight to have her call."

Penny nodded her head slowly. "I understand, Rudy. I..." Her voice trailed off. She bit her lip. This topic was getting a little tense despite the fact that, far as they new, it was only just about a test. Perhaps it was time to consider doing something else aside from sticking to this topic.

And she felt like she had a good idea of what else they could be doing right now.

"Do you want to visit Snap? Maybe that can help us clear our heads." Penny said with a small smile. She gripped Rudy's shoulder gently. "How about it?"

Rudy looked a little unsure. His expression was filled with mixed emotion. But he didn't attempt to fight for too long before he smiled back at her and said, "Y-Yeah... That might be a good idea." He straightened himself up. "Snap probably wants to be given an update, anyway."

"Yeah." Penny agreed as they turned to head back inside.

Upon arriving back in the bedroom, Rudy immediately pulled out his piece of magic chalk and went to the board to create a portal. He climbed in first and he helped Penny come in after him. Penny made sure the portal was erased just in case, and they headed into ChalkZone to look for their friend.

 _But that isn't what they got._

" _ **Raawwrr!**_ "

The two nearly jumped at that sound and they quickly looked around to see what was going on. It didn't take them long to see something moving in the distance.

It was Skrawl, and he was trying to drag with him some zoner. A huge zoner with wings, and it looked like Skrawl was winning.

Penny felt her eyes widen at how this poor zoner was being treated. She looked at Rudy and she could see his eyes narrowing deeply, his chalk already being pulled out. Penny turned to stare at Skrawl, growling herself. The two teens didn't hesitate to rush over there.


	6. Struggling Against A Familiar Threat

"Hey Skrawl! _Back off!_ "

"Leave that poor thing _alone!_ "

Skrawl flinched when he heard the sound of two annoying teenagers rushing towards him. The same teenagers who kept getting in his way of ChalkZone domination. He turned his head as he watched them coming over, his lip curling up into a snarl.

 _How dare they try to intervene..._ Didn't they have _anything better_ to do? Why do they always have to get in his way? They were just a couple of stupid goody two-shoes that just liked to butt into other people's business.

Fortunately for him, though, he did have this big creature with him. Those two obviously care about zoners and they wouldn't want an innocent zoner like this one to be hurt, now would they? If he played his cards right, he just might be able to convince them to lay off. He just needed to make sure he kept a good grip on this guy and then...

Rudy and Penny took defensive stances a bit further away from him. They glared at him intently, their teeth gritted tightly. If they were trying to look intimidating, they weren't doing a very good job of it. Skrawl could see right through their pathetic attemps at trying to look tough. It didn't matter that they were now teenagers. They still looked pretty pathetic doing this.

But if it was a fight they wanted, then it was a fight they were going to get.

Skrawl grinned maliciously as he held onto the rope that secured the beast. He looked back at the thing that he found, wandering around ChalkZone like a lost puppy. It looked like some sort of winged wolf with teal eyes, light tan fur with a darker underside, sharp talons, and sickle-liked claws on its wings. There was no way that he was going to give up this creature so easily. He could just imagine all the fun that he would have with this thing. There was so much that he could do. Having this thing on his team was better than the Beanie Boys. This thing not only could look dangerous, it could be dangerous as well.

Skrawl turned his attention back to Rudy and Penny. He could see how they were staring at him, waiting for him to say something. He gave a quick chuckle as he motioned to himself and said, "Oh if it isn't ChalkZone's 'greatest heroes'. I'm glad you could join me." He watched as Rudy and Penny glared at him and smirked. "Are you going to try swinging your precious chalk around? Is that all you are good for?"

Rudy took a few steps forward. "Skrawl, you know as well as I do that you can't just..."

"Save it, _chalk boy!_ " Skrawl raised his free hand up. His claws were pointed downward slightly, showing the child that he meant business. Not that it would make Rudy back off that easily, of course. "If you take one step closer, I will rip this stupid creature's eyes out!"

Penny let out a sharp gasp. " _You wouldn't dare...!_ "

Skrawl sneered at her. "Do you want to try me, princess? I bet you can't even get within ten feet before I..."

Suddenly, the large beast let out a roar. Skrawl nearly let go, the loud noise rippling through his head and body, startling him. He then felt the beast raise its head up, dragging him with him. Then he was swung around a little bit, left and right. Skrawl struggled to hang on the best that he could, but no matter what he tried or did, the creature wouldn't stop.

Skrawl could feel himself being flung to the side like a dirty bag of trash. He still hadn't let go, however. His weight did cause the creature to falter. But not all the way. The end result was the creature being tripped up a little bit while he himself was pulled right back. He smashed up against the beast and soon leaned against it, panting heavily. Skrawl shook his head and got up. He pulled hard on the rope, pulling the winged wolf's face close to his.

"You little trouble making dog... How dare you try to..." Skrawl started to say.

The beast was clearly not afraid of him. Instead of cowering in fear, it instead charged at him. With its head lowered to the ground, it smashed up against him and then flung up over its body. Skrawl could feel his fingers slip and suddenly, he was not holding onto the rope anymore. He was sent flying through the air just like before, and this time, he skidded painfully along his back.

Rudy and Penny cheered the beast, encouraging it to keep fighting. Skrawl shot a glare at them, wishing that they would stay out of this. Oh well; he would deal with them later. Right now, he had a beast zoner to tame. He hadn't yet given up on this thing being the perfect tool to take over ChalkZone. He just needed to give it a bit of... _encouragement._

Skrawl rushed towards the winged wolf. It hunched its body, fur raising on end as its wings spread open, and it released a loud snarl. Skrawl did falter just slightly, but he kept going. He jumped at the beast and grabbed on. The beast hissed and growled in irritation, wriggling its body about from side to side. Skrawl dug his claws in deeply, allowing him to hang on. He eventually got to where he needed to be. He raised his hand up and prepared to take out one of the creature's eyes.

" _No!_ " He could hear Rudy shout.

Then without warning, he could feel Rudy slamming against him. With the boy's mass and the surprise value, Skrawl wasn't able to prepare in time and he fell into the ground painfully. He released a low hiss as he grabbed Rudy by the throat and pinned him down. He loomed over him, hissing, "Too eager, aren't you?"

As Rudy attempted to launch against him a second time, Skrawl lifted up his foot and pushed back against Rudy. With one kick, he sent the child flying back across the ground. With Rudy temporarily distracted, Skrawl turned his attention back to the wolf-like beast.

"Now that the distraction's over..." Skrawl started to say. But he never got time to finish.

"You let this guy go, _you hear me?!_ "

Skrawl hissed loudly as he felt Penny grabbing onto him and struggling to pull him back. She did a better job than Rudy did in getting him away, he would give her that much. Rudy only managed to get him back a few centimeters. Penny? A few inches. Still not enough to dislodge him completely, but still pretty impressive.

Penny had a hold of his wrist with both hands, squeezing tightly, her teeth gritting against each other almost to the point of cracking. Maybe it was just his imagination, but Skrawl thought for certain taht he could see some tiny cracks starting to form. Penny yanked and twisted back as hard as she could, trying to prevent Skrawl from attacking the beast. She must be thinking that if she pestered him on this side, he would be forced to let go. _Oh how wrong she was..._

Skrawl effortlessly lifted Penny up from the ground, letting her dangle in the air. Penny struggled to hand on while glaring intently at Skrawl, her teeth remaining bared. Skrawl chuckled at this weak attempt at trying to intimidate him. He swung his arm a little before he finally released her. He let her fly across the ground and hit against it painfully. It was a bit more exciting to watch than what happened to Rudy, he would admit. Although he didn't really know why.

Skrawl then saw that Rudy was starting to draw something. The sight of this made Skrawl's eyes widen slightly. He took a step over in preparation of doing something, only to stop and look to see that something light tan was already swinging down upon him. Skrawl barely had time to reat before he could feel himself being swiped to the side by the large creature that he had tried to take control of. In seconds, his body hit up against a nearby tree.

Clutching his side tightly, he looked up and glared with a loud hiss as the flying zoner already took off into the air, flapping its wings as it disappeared upwards. In a matter of seconds, the beast had already disappeared.

Several thoughts ran through Skrawl's head as he watched the empty sky where the bat wolf used to be. Mostly burning thoughts on how these two idiots had ruined his plans once again. He tried to control his breathing as it continuously got more and more labored. Breath after breath, he exhaled slowly, feeling the blood inside of him heating up. He then turned his head to face Rudy and Penny, his eyes burning with anger. Thanks to _their_ intervention, his best shot at taking over ChalkZone was now flying away.

They needed to _pay_ for that.

The decision was easy to make. Skrawl just immediately went for whoever was closer. Penny appeared to be lacking a piece of magic chalk this time, a fatal mistake, and he was going to prove that to her. He wasted no time in grabbing onto her and lifting her up, immediately slamming her against a tree. Penny let out a cry of pain and struggled in Skrawl's grasp.

"Since you were so eager to stop me, perhaps you were feeling a little jealous?" Skrawl taunted the girl. "Were you wanting some of this as well? You don't need to beg. I can provide that for you." Skrawl raised his hand up.

Penny saw this and her eyes widened. " _W-Wait!_ "

Skrawl just sneered at her as he prepared to strike down. Before he did, he made sure that Rudy could see what was going to happen. Right now, it was clear that not only could Rudy see what was happening, he was also unable to do much of anything. He was in the middle of drawing, but nothing the boy could draw would be enough to stop him from getting some kind of blow in. Skrawl turned his attention back to Penny, his sneer broadening.

However, Skrawl was not prepared for what had happened next. Darnit that Penny, he had forgotten how smart she could be sometimes.

Without warning, Penny had kicked out against him. Her foot slammed against his chest. He felt some kind of weird sensation in his throat and he swallowed hard. He shook his head before he growled at Penny. Before he had time to retort to that, however, Penny had already found her own way of responding further.

Burning pain spread through Skrawl's eye as Penny spat at him. The glob of saliva burned against his eye, causing a sizzling 'smoke' to come pillowing out of it. It didn't last long as he wiped his hand against it, but this caused some of the burniness to go along the side of his hand as well. In the end, Skrawl was left whimpering a little as he tried to cope with the extremely painful acid-like burn on his face.

But it wasn't just pain he felt. Rage also consumed him. He glared daggers at Penny, who cringed back, looking horrified. It was hard to tell if she was horrified at what she did, or just terrified at what Skrawl was going to do. But neither of that really mattered to the jellybean. Snorting like a bull, Skrawl raised his claws up as he prepared to charge and tear out her throat.

Just then, he could feel something coiling around his body. Skrawl looked down to see some kind of whip. It wrapped around him completely and then Rudy pulled hard. This caused the jellybean to spin around rapidly. He eventually stopped, but his world was vertigo.

sss

Rudy remained where he was, panting heavily, glaring at where Skrawl had fallen down. He kept his pose for a few moments, his arm still stretched up as to strike outwards again. He panted a few times as Skrawl struggled to his feet. It was clear that the zoner had a hard time keeping a balance, wobbling to and fro. It seemed to take the jellybean a while before he rubbed his head and shook it, regaining some semblance of balance.

Rudy hardly reacted as the jellybean glared at Rudy with those piercing eyes, one of them damaged from what Penny had done. As shocked as he normally would be by Penny's act, Rudy's number one priority right now was to secure Skrawl and stop him from hurting people. Besides, why should he show sympathy to Skrawl after what this zoner had nearly done so many times before? He kept letting him off the hook and look at what happened because of it. It was time to get more... _firm_ with _this_ guy.

Rudy still didn't want to hurt Skrawl too badly, let alone kill him. But he did want to make sure that Skrawl started to have second thoughts on what he's been doing. He wanted Skrawl to realize just how wrong he was to be doing stuff like this. He wanted him to be aware that his actions had consequences. Perhaps if he were a little rougher, Skrawl might get that message loud and clear.

Seeing that Skrawl was still a bit dizzy, that gave Rudy an idea. He knew of a way that he could get Skrawl to realize his mistakes without causing too much damage. And he could do that by taking full advantage of the fact that he was feeling rather dizzy.

While Skrawl was still a little distracted, Rudy raised up his magic chalk and quickly began to draw as fast as he could. Lines rapidly filled the air, the lines glowing intensely as though responding to his emotions. Something long and flapping formed, and then a platform. Soon before him was a small flying machine consisting of a skateboard with large wings.

A part of Rudy did know he was going to hate himself for this later. But for now, those feelings were cast aside.

Kicking off from the ground, Rudy rushed over to Skrawl as quickly as he could. He aimed the tip of the skateboard down, causing it to dive and scoop up Skrawl onto the board itself. The zoner let out a screech of surprise as he was suddenly lifted up into the air. He just barely fit on and Rudy had to scramble back. The boy quickly realized his error, but by the time that he did, they were already up in the air.

The weight of the jellybean hadn't been properly calculated. With Skrawl trying to hang on, the winged skateboard was tossed around in the sky, swirling about like it was in a whirlpool. Rudy could feel himself slipping and he had to grab onto the board with his arms at the very edge. This lasted for several seconds, Skrawl's weight continuously complicating things.

Eventually, Rudy got control of the winged skateboard the best that he could. He guided it upwards into the sky. This forced him and Skrawl to hang on even tighter. To Rudy's horror, Skrawl was situated above him. He could feel the skateboard's mass being manipulated by Skrawl's large body. This way and that, he went. Rudy gritted his teeth as he struggled to hang on as tightly as he could, waiting for the board to arise as high up as possible before he made his next move.

But even as he did this, Skrawl was not going to let up on him so easily. Skrawl ignored what was going on, his eyes focused on Rudy alone. He leaned in and he tried to swipe at Rudy several times. His claws continuously missed, but he was crawling in closer, shifting his weight. This further complicated things and Rudy could feel the board struggling to stay on course. He tried his best to keep it all the way that it should be. But eventually, it just fell apart.

Suddenly the board flipped around. Rudy let out a scream as he was suddenly upside down. He clinged to the board tightly, digging his finger nails in. The thing somehow managed to stay aloft despite the shift. But that wasn't much good news for Rudy as Skrawl now pressed himself against the skateboard, reaching out to swipe him with his claws.

" _Aaah!_ " Rudy tried to dodge the best that he could. He had to pull and push himself out pretty far, and if he wasn't careful, he might end up looking up or down and realizing how high that he was and fear that he would fall off. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he regretted his decision to fight Skrawl up here. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea after all.

Skrawl growled loudly at him, his good eye nearly blazing. "Hold still, you little brat!"

"Wait, Skrawl! Stop moving around so much!" Rudy screeched as he nearly slipped off. "You're going to make us _both_ fall!"

Skrawl paused at this for a moment before sneering. "If you didn't want to fall, then you _shouldn't_ have drawn this thing in the first place." He leaned in a little closer. Rudy could feel his breath upon him. " _Besides..._ I don't care about that right now."

Rudy felt his eyes widen as Skrawl said this. It was like he had gone insane. _Was Skrawl really that focused on this that he was willing to..._ Rudy reacted as quickly as he could, shifting his body against the skateboard as hard as he could. He had to do this again and again before the skateboard started to move over. After what felt like the sixth time, he turned over completely. He wobbled a little before regaining balance.

The flip caused Skrawl to screech in shock and he struggled to hang onto the board. His heavier weight caused him to dig his claws in further, scraping at it in desperation. Skrawl couldn't even try to swipe at Rudy anymore. All he could do was just hang on there, staring up at Rudy with wide eyes. Suddenly the shoe was on the other foot.

Rudy wrestled with some darker thoughts. He could force Skrawl to fall like he almost did to him. But he soon decided that the fear of falling was good enough for now. Plus, it wasn't like he couldn't have a little fun with Skrawl. Give him a little scare and maybe that will stun him enough to be detained. Would he feel guilty about this later? Perhaps, but Skrawl had it coming.

Rudy acted quickly. Grabbing onto the board, he pulled it back and caused it to head straight up a little more. He could feel Skrawl trying to use his weight to move the board yet again. Rudy responed as fast as he could, pushing forward so that the board would change direction. In a matter of seconds, they began to hurdle back down towards the ground.

Around and around, they went, spinning wildly. They both screame as they went, feeling the air rushing by them, distorting their faces. Rudy could feel every ounce of him feeling up with adrenaline, helping him to hold on tighter. His heart raced faster and his mind tried to get him to stop this. And yet he still carried on, determined to see this through. Closer and closer to the ground they went, _until..._

Rudy pulled up quickly as Skrawl shouted for him to stop. He did this at one of the last possible moments. The motion was enough to keep them from crashing head first, but Skrawl did hit painfully against the ground. The forward motion caused his back to get scraped a little. Rudy did pull up to try to lighten that up a little, but ultimately the two crashed completely, both groaning in pain.

Rudy pushed himself up onto his hands. He tried to stand up. His legs were wobbly and shaky and he struggled to get his feet from not tripping over. He swayed back and forth and he nearly fell down. He only stopped because Penny managed to grab onto him. He looked behind him and he could see Penny staring at him with great concern. Rudy smiled at her, grateful for the help. He held onto her as she helpd him keep his balance.

The two of them turned to glare at Skrawl. They both silently pondered what they were going to do with him. At the moment, Skrawl was incapacitated, but that wouldn't last long. If he were allowed to run free, no doubt he would just try to find that poor beast again and try to reign it in as though it was his property. They couldn't allow that to happen. They needed to do something to discourage him.

Penny already had the solution.

"Come on, we should tie him up before he has a chance to get away." Penny stared at Rudy intently, her eyes going down to where his chalk is. "Hurry up, before he..."

" _Too late!_ "

Rudy and Penny didn't know how Skrawl managed to get up so quickly. Had he actually been conscious the entire time and he was just waiting until the right moment before making his move? Was he tricking them? Whatever the case may be, they suddenly found themselves pushed up against the ground painfully, held secured there by a pissed off jellybean.

Skrawl loomed over them, his teeth gritting tightly, low growls escaping his mouth. His yellow teeth were bared and it almost looked like he was going to bite into them. He used his weight to hold them down. Rudy tried to draw something, but Skrawl tightened his grip on his neck, his claws threatening to pierce his skin. Skrawl kept them pinned down for several long moments before he attempted to say anything.

In a darkened voice, Skrawl growled, "In all my time fighting you, Master Tabootie, I _never_ thought that you would have gotten _this dark..._ "

Rudy struggled against the zoner's grasp. "I don't know what you're talking about! I-I was just trying to..."

Skrawl hissed, suppressing a dark chuckle. "To _lie_ about it... You really have changed, haven't you?" Rudy blinked at Skrawl in confusion. Skrawl lifted his head up and he gave a sneer. "Don't try to act like you don't know. I've seen the look in your eyes. I know what you were about to do." He leaned in closer to hiss in Rudy's face, "You were trying to _kill_ me, weren't you...?"

Rudy gasped loudly at this. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. Penny spoke up for him.

"Th-That's not true!" Penny shouted. "Rudy would never do that!" Penny twisted and turned on the ground, trying to pull Skrawl's hand off of her. But her attempts were futile. "How dare you try to insinuate that Rudy would try to..."

"But you've seen it for yourself, didn't you, genius girl?" Skrawl growled. He contorted his face slightly, as though annoyed. "You've seen what he tried to do. You can't act like you didn't see it." He turned his attention back to Rudy. He took in a few heavy breaths before his mouth corners curled up slowly. "You're becoming something rather...fascinated, aren't you, little artist boy?"

Rudy could feel his blood chilling at this, realization dawning over him. He knew he would regret his actions. He didn't think it would be this fast. The implications of what he did earlier... He could see why Skrawl immediately thought the worst.

And it didn't matter if that wasn't his intention. He still could have slipped up and it still looked like he was going to do something horrible. Really, he just wanted to disable Skrawl enough so that he could stop him, so that he could tie him up and take him to jail. He had never intended to...

Penny's voice sliced through the air, tinged with anger. "How fucking dare you! I... _Ahhh!_ "

" _Penny!_ " Rudy shouted in horror as Skrawl started to drive his claws into flesh, drawing blood. "Skrawl, let her go!"

Skrawl curled his lip up in contempt. "Why the hell should I? You were going to take something from _me._ " His smile grew twisted and ugly. Even more so than usual. "Why don't I take something from _you...?_ "

Rudy's eyes filled with horror. He ignored his own pain as he tried to raise his chalk and draw. But he knew that he was going to be too slow. There was no way that he could move fast enough. All that he could do was just stare up at Skrawl and Penny in horror, forced to watch what was going to happen next.

Just then, there was a flash of blue. Rudy could see it zipping in front of his face. He strained to see where it was coming from, his neck aching. He wasn't able to see too much before there was a loud grunt and a yelp from Skrawl. It all happened so fast. Before he knew it, he and Penny were suddenly freed. They looked at each other in confusion before turning their heads to see what had gone on.

 _It was Snap._

The two human teenagers watched with mouths agape and eyes widened Snap rushed around Skrawl, dodging his attacks. Skrawl let out a few loud yells as he tried in frustration to hit Snap. The smaller zoner might not look intimidating to anyone who just saw him on a surface level. But he was faster and too slippy for Skrawl to easily grab onto. Snap was small enough to even slide underneath Skrawl to escape what was about to happen. The claws missed him by a mile.

"Hold still, you blue rat! Fight me and stop trying to dodge me! You strong enough to interrupt me? Then you're strong enough to _fight_ me." Skrawl glared intently at Snap. At this point, Skrawl was glaring at them all with both eyes, though his damaged eye still looked like it had a huge burn on it. Skrawl flexed his claws eagerly. "How about it, _Snap?_ Think you can win a fair fight against me without your _dirty little tricks?_ "

Snap took a pose a few feet away from him. His face was stretched into a smile, one filled with smugness. "But you're the great Skrawl! Surely you can beat me without needing me to hold still." He jumped to the side as Skrawl tried to lunge at him. Skrawl spluttered as dirt filled his mouth. Snap just smirked at him before motioning with his hand, taunitng Skrawl. "Come on, think _you're_ smart enough to take _me_ on?"

Skrawl growled lowly at this. His eyes widened in shock when Snap made an obscene gesture to him. Not with just one but both hands. Even Rudy and Penny were shocked by this. They remained silent as Skrawl released a loud, furious yell and the jellybean-like zoner charged at Snap as fast as he could.

The blue and white zoner just held still for several moments. It was hard to tell just what he was up to. It was obvious in the past that Snap could be really clever when he needed to be. But neither Rudy nor Penny could really think of just what the little zoner had in mind this time. They felt compelled to do something. They were stopped when Snap looked at them and shook his head before giving a small wink, indicating he had something in mind. Though uncomfortable, the two tried to put trust in Snap and waited to see what was going to happen.

When Skrawl got close enough, Snap did not move to the side. This time, he jumped upwards. It was then that the two of them could see the rope. They gasped in shock at this. _How did Snap manage to do this with rope so fast?_

Their questions were interrupted when Skrawl suddenly let out a loud scream, the tree bending to his unstable weight. It struggled to straighten itself up. Skrawl grabbed onto the ground firmly, digging his claws in deeply, doing whatever he could to keep himself from being tossed outward. He glared intently at Snap and he started to crawl towards him. As he did so, the tree shook, energy rapidly building up.

Penny quickly acted. She grabbed Rudy's chalk, startling the boy, and she quickly drew a knife. Rudy felt a sharp pang before he realized what she was going to do. Rudy, not wanting to let Penny go in alone, rushed to where Snap was. The superhero zoner was making faces at Skrawl, clearly confident that Skrawl could not get to him. Rudy grabbed onto him and started to draw him back away. As soon as he picked up Snap to move him, that was when he heard the sound of the rope snapping in half. Turning his head, he and Snap watched the events unfold.

Without the rope to hold things in place, there was nothing to stop the tree from releasing its built up energy. It swung around wildly like it was a part of some dance. To and fro it went, looking like it was going to snap in half any second. Skrawl scrambled up to his feet, but he wasn't able to react quickly enough. During one of its rounds, the tree wound up striking Skrawl hard in the side, sending the zoner flying through the air. Rudy, Penny, and Snap could not see where he landed.

The trio stood there in silence, listening and trying to hear if Skrawl was getting up or not. But they didn't notice anything. Nothing but silence. They looked at each other and wordlessly wondered what htey should do. They couldn't just stand there.

Rudy narrowed his eyes. If Skrawl was not going to come out, then they would just have to go get him. They...

They were suddenly interrupted by a loud screech.

" _ **Raawrr!**_ "


	7. A Beastly Betrayal

Rudy and Penny both gasped in horror and shock when something big and massive flew overhead. The thing was a bit lower to the ground. Enough that when it flew by them, it seemed to kick up some air and dust. They put their arms over their faces and tried to keep the dust from getting into their eyes.

When Rudy gathered enough courage to look through this miniature dust storm, he took notice that Snap wasn't there anymore. With his heart clenching tightly, he looked around quickly, trying to figure out where his friend could have gone. When he turned his head to the right, he could see a small blue form running into the distance. He blinked once and then he could see a massive shadow looming over his friend.

With his heart nearly snapping in two, Rudy shouted for his friend. " _Snap! Get away from there!_ "

"You don't need to tell me twice, Bucko!" Snap looked tired, as though he had been running for way too long. His mouth was open and his mouth looked dry even from this distance. His poor heart must be racing _so hard..._ And yet he still kept going, rushing over as quickly as possible, refusing to stop. "Help me!"

Penny gritted her teeth as she looked back at Rudy. "Draw something that can move fast!"

"I'm _trying!_ " Rudy tried to get himself to draw. But his hand was incredibly shaky. Any attempt seemed to just fall flat upon the ground. "Stupid chalk... _Work!_ "

Penny put a hand on his shoulder. She gripped it firmly. " _Rudy, hurry!_ "

Rudy tried to do what Penny asked of him. He tried to get the chalk to work. But in those few moments, his mind just wasn't working right. The adrenaline that once helped him was now making things incredibly difficult. His hand had too much energy now and his drawings were not coming out right. These things were not going to help him. His mind spun around rapidly, many thoughts moving through him like quicksand, as he tried in vain to create something.

Eventually, the magic chalk slipped from his hands and landed on the ground. Rudy looked at his hands and saw that they were covered in sweat. So much of it in fact, that droplets dripped onto the ground. Rudy bared his teeth as he rubbed against his hand, trying to get the stuff off of his fingers. He then lifted his head and looked around for Snap.

It was then, as he saw his friend running as fast as he could, that he could see what the thing attacking him was.

That same beast zoner that Skrawl tried to capture.

Rudy took in a sharp breath, fighting off the burning anger and feelings of betrayal as he watched the very creature he and Penny tried to save turn on them like this. _How could that thing do this to them? After what they had tried to do for it...? Why that..._

Rudy wasn't able to finish his thoughts when Penny, who had apparently gotten tired of waiting for him, grabbed onto his chalk and ripped it from his hands. Rudy could feel her pushing him aside as she ran forward herself, going as fast as she could go. Rudy remained silent as she ran, licking his lips slowly. He felt a guilty pang as he realized he just wasn't fast enough...but then he shook that thought out of his head as he let out a small growl and chased off after Penny, trying to catch up to her.

Penny raised up the magic chalk and tried to draw as quickly as she could. While she did this, the winged beast was getting closer and closer to Snap. It brought out its talons, the sharp tips glinting in the light of the Day Zone sun. Suddenly, Rudy wished that they were still dealing with Skrawl.

Snap dove onto the ground, letting out a yell as the large brown wolf thing closed its claws together, the claws themselves scraping against one another. This made Rudy's ears nearly bleed. It was almost as bad as a chalkboard being scraped. Rudy tried not to think about that too much as he shifted his focus instead to see how his friend was doing. Snap didn't appear to be hurt, but he was clearly shaken by the very close call.

He turned his head to see Penny was already working to drawing something. In her hands, she soon possessed some kind of... He had to stop and squint for a moment as he tried to determine what it was. Some kind of small volcano...? He quickly got the idea of it, though, when it 'erupted' and a thick band of solid energy came out, going towards the winged wolf.

"Penny, you're a genius!" Rudy heard himself shout. He nearly blushed in embarrassment at that. _Of course_ she was a genius. He felt a little silly.

Penny smiled at him briefly, but then she frowned and turned back to watch her trap unfold. The beam, made of solid yellow and banded white, shot upwards swiftly, twisting around and around as it went right towards the winged wolf. Faster and faster, more and more twisted, trying to trap the beast within... Rudy watched as it wrapped around the beast's perimeter and then start to close in.

...only for the bat wolf to shoot out of it quickly. The beast turned around and let out a loud screech, its teal eyes glinting in the light, sharp teeth bared. The beams did not respond, considering they weren't actually alive. They attempted to wrap around it once more. The beast just hissed loudly at this and started to do acrobats in the air. It twisted and it turned in the air, wings spread open and then closing, effortlessly dodging the beams.

Penny's mouth dropped open. " _Wh-What the..._ "

Rudy was frozen for a few seconds. Then he shouted, "Penny, _do something!_ We can't...!"

"I'm trying! Just give me a moment!" Penny wailed at Rudy. The boy was a little stunned by this and immediately shut his mouth tightly. He watched as Penny scrambled to try to draw something else, but the chalk continuously nearly feel from her hands no matter what she tried.

Rudy looked over at where the beast was. At this point, the beast had been diving back down towards Snap. His heart skipped a beat, both caught in horror of what was happening and a bitter awe at just how talented this creature was. It kept managing to dodge the beams as it drew closer to Snap. It was practically unstoppable.

But Rudy refused to believe that. There had to be something that would keep this creature from getting to Snap. Something that would protect his friend from the constant onslaught of claws. _Something like..._

Suddenly a lightbulb flickered in his head. "Wait, I've got it!" Rudy grabbed the chalk from Penny, startling her. He quicly drew himself an electric-powered bike so that he could get to Snap faster. He hardly heard what Penny said as he drew in closer. Trying to get close with those beams lowering down was quite a feat and he wasn't really sure how he managed to do it.

When he got close enough, he pedaled a little harder before he zipped himself in front of Snap. He got off the bike and let it roll off into the distance. The bat wolf was right above him, its wings outstretched as it brought its feet forward. Time seemed to slow down greatly as Rudy watched this, raising up his chalk-wielding hand as he prepared to fight back. With a few rapid motions with the chalk, he produced a large torch and flung its flames around quickly.

This happened just in time. The beast's head was very close to him. The large zoner appeared to take notice of the fire and it immediately hung back. There was nothing in its expression that suggested that it had given up. But it was still clear that it wasn't about to dive down blindly. It opened its mouth in a loud hiss, baring its teeth as it watched Rudy carefully. It shifted its body left and right as it appeared to be trying to find some sort of opening to get in towards Snap.

Rudy acted quickly. The fire would only distract it for so long before it manages to find a workaround. Rudy thought about grabbing Snap and running, but he knew that would be risky. The beast was _fast_ and might be able to attack before he had a chance to get that far. Besides, that wasn't why he had come over here. He had something different in mind.

With his chalk once again wielded, Rudy rushed around himself and Snap, drawing a line along the ground to form a circle. As he did so, there was a small flash of color and then what looked like a transparent bubble, bouncy and boingy, sprung up rapidly. It covered the two of them. As soon as it formed, the beast tried to strike against it. But despite the bubble flexing slightly, it did not break. The beast growled in frustration as it struck again and again, trying to make the bubble burst open. But it was useless.

The beast's fur ruffled, its eyes narrowing into slits. Its teeth were more bared than ever before, and its jaws opened up slowly. Rudy flinched at how the thing was looking at them, but he tried to stand his ground. He stood defensively in front of Snap, his hands folded tightly into fists, showing the thing that he was not going to let it so easily get to his friend.

And the beast seemed to understand this. After a few more frustrated attempts to strike the shield down using its wing claws, the beast seemed to finally give up. Its posture changed a little. Not a full submission, but it did stop looking as aggressive. It then began to turn around slowly, making Rudy think it was just going to fly off...

 _...but then the beast suddenly took off after Penny..._

 _...who wasn't armed..._

"Oh no, Buckette!" Snap screamed. He tried to rush forward, but Rudy put his arm in front of him. "What are you doing? She needs our help!"

Rudy narrowed his eyes. He knew that Snap was right, but he didn't want to risk both of his friends. Knowing that the shield was safe, designed to let people out but not in, Snap was better off here. Once he left the shield, he wouldn't be able to get back in. A dumb design choice, he knew. But he had little time to think of it. Looking down at Snap, he said, "Stay here. I'll help Penny."

Snap shook his head. "I'm not letting you go out there by yourself!"

"You're going to have to. That thing is determined to get you and I don't know why. If you come out, you're just giving it what it wants. So please Snap, just..." Rudy grabbed onto Snap's shoulders firmly. "Stay in here where it's safe. Okay?"

Snap didn't look at all happy about this. He glared softly at Rudy, letting his lip curl up slightly as he growled. But he did give in after a few moments, looking away from Rudy. " _Fine..._ " He then looked back, this time with a softer expression. "Be careful, okay?"

Rudy nodded his head. "I will."

Without further hesitation, Rudy turned to glare at where the beast had gone. He was horrified to see that the wolf-like creature had Penny pinned down already. His friend was screaming loudly, calling for help. The winged wolf hadn't tried to attack her yet, it seems. But its face was awfully close and its teeth looked ilke they were ready to sink down into some flesh. The pain of chalk against blood was probably the _only_ thing that was keeping the beast from actually attacking.

Rudy looked at Penny's failed attempt to stop the creature. The beams that she drew were exhausted and used up. They were laying upon the ground, twisted against each other and utterly useless now. The sight of it made Rudy's blood boil. Not because it was Penny's choice, but because it served as a reminder that if Skrawl had gotten this thing on his side, things would have taken an _ugly turn._

Rudy swiftly began to draw, lines rapidly filling the air. Arching and turning and twisting, he drew the first thing that came to his mind. He quickly produced a large net lined with a flower that he just created that was designed to weaken and put zoners to sleep. Not something he would normally create, but he was getting desperate here and he needed to do something to stop this thing from hurting his best friend. Once the thing was finished, he grabbed onto it and got ready to use it.

He ran forward as quickly as he could. The winged wolf's ears twitched like it heard his approach, but it didn't do anything to look over. Perhaps it thought that it was still in the clear. It was going to have another thought coming. Once Rudy was able to get in close enough, seeing his friend still squirming on the ground, he mustered up as much strength as he could and he tossed the net towards the large beast-like zoner. The net flew through the air and soon landed on top of the beast.

The winged wolf's body shifted and lowered a little. Its eyes widened in shock and its ears folded back for a few moments. Then it began to roar and shift its body about. From side to side, it went, trying to get the net off of itself. The net was caught on its wings, the sickle claws there making it rather easy to hold the net in place.

Rudy watched as it struggled before turning to Penny and rushing to her side. He reached over and grabbed onto her hand, looking at her worriedly. " _Penny!_ " He called out to her. " _Are you all right?!_ "

Penny couldn't speak, her voice caught in her throat. She took in a few shaky breaths as she looked and stared up at Rudy. She straightened herself a little and then she turned to see the creature struggling in the net. She bit her lip. "What did you do?"

Rudy blinked at this before looking back at the beast. He noticed how it looked a bit sickly as it slipped on the ground, losing its balance. He flinched at the sight of this. He didn't think it would look this bad. He then looked back at Penny and tried to smile the best that he could. "I know it looks bad, but don't worry. It will be fine. Those flowers will just put it to sleep. Then we can take it somewhere where it can't hurt anyone else." He stopped for a second as he remembered something else. He narrowed his eyes slowly. "And it can't be used by Skrawl..."

Penny let out a small sigh. "That's true. If _Skrawl_ managed to get a hold of it..." Her voice trailed off, clearly not wanting to think of that possibility.

Rudy looked down at his magic chalk, watching it sparkle a little. He had used most of it up in that effort. He hadn't been watching just how much of this that he was using, and he doubted Penny was, either. At least they managed to stop the thing before it could do some real damage. Now they needed to figure out how they were going to transport such a large zoner somewhere, and just how were they going to keep it secured in the meantime.

Perhaps they could tie it up? Once it fell asleep and was unmoving, Rudy could use whatever he had left of the chalk to tie up its limbs and wings. Perhaps its jaws as well. He would need to use some stronger type of rope for it, though. He could tell that the creature was really strong. Its size alone made it enough of a powerhouse that traditional rope would not work. The rope that he used on it just now would work mostly okay, but he needed something even stronger. Something that wouldn't easily break. Would nylon rope work?

Well, whatever he decided, he was going to need to do it quickly. He didn't have much time to didle dally. If he didn't try to take care of this now, if he didn't try to do something about that beast quickly... He tried to shake off the horrible thoughts of what could happen in that case. He swallowed hard before turning around to watch as the beast would finally pass out from the flowers.

But that isn't what happened.

To Rudy and Penny's horror, the beast was standing straight up, a bunch of knots in the rope already having been snapped apart. It opened its mouth and bit down and shook the rope. Analysis of its chest revealed that it was holding its breath. Somehow, it was smart enough to know not to breathe in the fumes of those flowers and now it ripped the net in shreds. It all happened so fast, in the blink of a moment, that the two children edned up just staring with wide eyes, mouths agape, unable to move.

It was only the scream of their friend that they managed to shake themselves back to reality. The winged wolf had made a run for Snap, pounding the ground with its feet. Snap stood in the middle of the shield, watching in terror as the beast came hurdling towards him. As the shadow rapidly grew on him, the thing looming over him, Snap backed up near the edge of the shield. He forced himself to stop, looked behind him, and then back at the beast, his mouth open and panting.

"B-Bucko... B-Buckette.." Snap whispered softly, his eyes wide in horror. " _H-H-Help me...!_ "

Rudy and Penny froze for a moment, staring in shock and horror as the thing started to strike at the shield. With each strike, the sphere shook more, wobbling about. The beast struck at the top, its talons going in a little deeply. But it never could actually pierce it. But it wasn't about to give up as it continuously struck in various areas, desperately trying to get at Snap.

Rudy got out the chalk once more, feeling his heart thumping inside of his chest. _Just what was going to stop this thing?_ How much more of this were they going to need to use before this thing was stopped? _And just..._ was it possible that they would be able to pull that off _before_ this thing got to Snap...?

Rudy did not have time to think about that. He only had time to take action. Raising up his magic chalk, Rudy began to make his move towards the bat wolf zoner, hoping to draw something small, like a freeze ray, to ensure that Snap wasn't captured by this horrible thing.

But the bat wolf had gotten wise to him at this point. Rudy watched as a clawed foot was struck out towards him. He could hear Penny screaming in horror, followed by a scream of pain, as she too was hit. Rudy laid on the ground, groaning softly, before he sat himself back up. He attempted to head towards the thing a second time, but then he realized, patting around himself in horror, that he had lost his magic chalk.

"Rudy, where's the..." Penny started to say before they were both interrupted by a loud scream.

The beast had managed to push its leg in so far, that it would stretch its paw around Snap's body. Rudy felt his heart freezing at this. He hadn't expected the creature to be able to do that. He and Penny both watched in shock as the thing lifted Snap up, dragging the shield with it. The shield was rapidly dislodged from the ground. It was like it was attached to the thing's foot now.

Rudy and Penny continued to watch this going on for several long moments, their minds locked and stunned that the creature was even able to do this. They could hear Snap calling out for them, reaching out for them, desperately trying to wriggle himself free. But the beast's grip tightened up as it spread its wings open. Rudy and Penny let out loud gasps at this before they rushed over as quickly as they could.

They managed to catch up to the beast as it tried to fly. They attempted to use their weight to hold it down, grabbing onto its leg and tail. They crawled up on it and gripped its fur tightly to secure themselves. The beast let out a loud screech of fury before it flapped harder and began to rise up into the air. Of course their weight wasn't going to hold it down. This thing was massive. Rudy and Penny could feel their feet rapidly leaving the ground, giving them more of a reason to hang on tightly.

The beast started to fly forward, each wing beat almost sounding like thunder in their ears with them being this close. Air rapidly rushed around the creature as it flew, and that wind hit against Rudy and Penny, making it difficult for them to keep clinging on. And yet they still tried, knowing that they couldn't just let Snap..

Suddenly the beast went straight up and began to spin itself around in rapid circles. It was like a tornado almost, only covered in fur and with many colors moving over its body. Rudy and Penny tried to ignore the vertigo forming as they desperately clung to the creature's fur, nearly ripping it off.

But eventually, they just weren't able to hold on any longer. They could feel their grip slip from the beast and down they plummeted.

" _Aaaaahh!_ " Rudy and Penny screamed.

Snap reached out to them. " _N-No!_ "

Rudy and Penny fell towards the ground. They felt as though they had fallen for hours, but it really only took a few seconds before they could feel pain wracking through their bodies. They finally hit the ground. They rolled around painfully, going this way and that, before they finally stopped, laying on their sides and groaning in pain.

They looked up and tried to figure out where Snap was now. They could soon see what looked like a moving dot and they thought they could hear, just faintly, Snap calling out to them for help. Soon the two of them disappeared, leaving Rudy and Penny alone.

Rudy sat there, his thoughts moving rapidly through his head, the realization of what had happened dawning on him. He couldn't move. He could barely breathe. He was hardly aware of Penny looking at him worriedly. All Rudy coud think about was the fact that his friend had just been taken from him, ripped away from him and dragged off into the distance. And there was _nothing_ that he could do about it. _By the time he found the magic chalk or got more..._

" _Rudy..._ I-It'll be okay..." Penny whispered to him. Her voice was shaky and it was clear that she was trying to hide her own sorrows. "W-We'll find him, I'm sure. Let's not..."

Rudy turned to glare at her. He didn't know why she was trying to lie to him like this. She knew that it wasn't going to be that easy to get Snap back. And there's a chance that they might not be able to save him in time. They just couldn't...

Rudy could feel the sorrow overwhelming him, causing tears of guilt to stream rapidly down his face. He leaned against Penny, who held onto him, the two embracing each other, and sobbed.

sss

 _Shit... Oh fuck shit... Why did it have to turn out this way? Why did those stupid brats have to get i nhis way? If only he had been faster, he could have..._

Skrawl let out a few pained hisses as he struggled to walk. That unscheduled flight had caused him to hit up against a few trees and thorny bushes, scraping and bruising up his body quite a bit. He was not terribly hurt. He imagined that it wouldn't take him long to be fine. But at the same time, he just... He wasn't going to be able to do much scheming for a while, that's for sure.

But what annoyed him the most about this loss is that he had lost his one chance at getting a really scary, intimidating ally. Sure, his Beanie Boys could do quite a bit of work, and they had some competence levels in of themselves. But they were also pretty goofy-looking and he realized that most of the zoners hardly took them seriously. This included those who should know better.

Realizing this, Skrawl thought that it was time to recruit someone else. In order for it to work, however, he needed a new zoner. A freshly made zoner, or at least a zoner not from around here, who hadn't yet been molded by these heathens of ChalkZone City. He needed to find a zoner who was big and dangerous... _and_ hadn't actually heard about him. He knew that was going to be quite the challenge, but it would have been so rewarding if he had succeeded. He could only imagine how things would become if he were accompanied by a large, scary zoner that would send the zoners in such a fright that they would have no choice but to listen to him.

That isn't what ended up happening, though. Skrawl could feel his gut burning up inside of his stomach as he thought about what Rudy and Penny had done to him. They had decided to get in his way, to refuse to let him have any peace, and once again steal what was rightfully his. That zoner he caught was just some wild animal. It was something he could have easily trained. It was not like he was taking some sentient zoner and making them work for him. Seriously, who cares if he took some wild, violent animal and molded it into his image? _Was that so wrong?_

Of course, the stupid creators and their zoner pal, and most other zoners anyway, would have something else to say about that. They would do whatever it took to stop him. And while this meant that they took this threat seriously and that's what he wanted, at the same time, it was also infuriating as it made it a lot more difficult for him to obtain this goal.

 _Oh well_ , there wasn't much that he could do now. He would have to head back to his hideout and wait this out. He needed to recover a little before he made another attempt. He wouldn't try to capture that winged wolf again. It was probably hundreds of miles away at this point. He snorted heavily as he rubbed one of the deep bruises on his side. It was going to take at least a week before he would feel recovered enough to head out again, in search of a new zoner. Perhaps something easier to catch this time around.

He placed his hand over his eye and growled heavily. He coudln't believe what Penny had done to him. _That stupid little girl..._ Once he got a new partner and he got a new scheme going on, _she_ was going to be _first_ on his list. And it would be a double whammy as well. By hurting her, he would also hurt Rudy and that pesky Snap. It was a win-win situation. He smirked at the thought.

He suddenly felt as though he was being watched. He froze in place, his head turning slowly, miss-matched eyes looking about as he felt something piercing through his very soul. He felt a cold chill rushing up and down through his body, which hunched instinctively like a child being scolded by a parent. _Just what was going on here...?_

Then he turned his head and he suddenly found his view filled with darkness and rows of pointed teeth.


	8. Aftermath Of The Assault

" _Stupid!_ How could I have been _so stupid?!_ " Rudy shouted. He paced back and forth, his feet pressing deeply into the ground. It was getting to the point where he was practically making a dent in the hard floor beneath him. "I should have drawn something better! Faster! If I hadn't just... _Ugh!_ "

Penny felt her heart sting as she watched her friend beat himself up over this. She tried to control her emotions, but she wasn't able to stop herself from biting her lip or from her tears forming in her eyes. She wished that there was something that she could do to cheer her friend up. But she couldn't think of anything.

And what _could_ she do? She didn't know how to find Snap or where he was. At least, not fast enough. They could create the homing beacons like Rudy did that one time. But would they even find Snap in time? What if that beast had killed him? The thought chilled Penny's blood and the thought made her want to throw up. Regardless, she didn't think that they should stand here, scolding each other on what happened. There were far more important things to worry about.

But at the moment, she could not bring herself to talk. Her jaws were nearly sealed shut and unable to move. She watched as Rudy continuously moved around like this, digging his fingernrails into his scalp, cursing to himself, nearly literally kicking himself... She didn't know how long she was going to be able to handle watching this. It was like watching a nightmare unfolding.

She hoped that Snap was okay. She hoped that the shield would buy him sometime at least. The beast didn't seem able to actually tear it open. So perhaps once it let go and so long as Snap remained in the shield, the creature would have a harder time getting to him. That gave them more time to help rescue him.

Rudy finally stopped pacing, but he hardly looked any better. His eyes were wide and wild. Tears had left his cheeks red and she was certain they stung him horribly. He was struggling to breathe, his nostrils flaring as he strugled to take in breath after breath. He soon looked over at Penny. She felt her body jolt as she saw the way he was looking at her. His facial expression was contorted into such determination and distress, a combination that broke her heart.

Rudy licked his lips slowly. "D-Do you have any ideas, P-P-Penny...?" His voice was hard to listen to. It was a little gravelly and kind of sore, like he was struggling in vain to speak. " _Anything at all..?_ "

Penny released a small sigh. She wanted to be more hopeful than this. _But the truth was..._ "It's going to be hard to find him quickly, Rudy. As soon as we can even get another piece of chalk, we..."

"That's _not_ what I wanted to hear! You're _supposed_ to have _all_ the good ideas! You should be telling me what to do!" Rudy shouted at her. He sounded angry but there was a tinge of anger to his voice as well. Penny was able to catch this easily and it made her expression to him soften up a little more. "You should know what to do! You always have some kind of plan! Please... _Just..._ " A few tears moved down his cheeks. "...tell me what to do... _please..._ "

Penny watched as Rudy came towards her slowly. His feet were wobbling and he was slipping constantly. He looked like he was having a hard time standing up. But even in spite of that, he managed to get close enough to her to grab onto her and pull her forward. She hardly made a sound at this.

"There _has_ to be _something_ we can do! Just tell me what it is...please! Penny...!" Rudy's body trembled as emotion wracked through her body. He started to lose energy and he dropped onto the ground, his knees banging painfully against his own room's floor.

Penny looked at him sadly. She couldn't imagine what he was going through. They had been forced to leave ChalkZone patch themselves up. But it would seem such a decision only made Rudy's tennsion worse. She couldn't begin to imagine just what he was going through. She had her ideas, but she wasn't inside of his head. She couldn't think of all the extra thoughts that plagued him. In an attempt to comfort him, she reached down and started to gently pat him on the head.

"Shhh... I know that things look tough right now. I know what you must be feeling." She tried to sound as convincing as she could. But they were still going through similar feelings of despair and hopelessness. "We will find a way to get our friend back. He is in that shield, remember? That thing hadn't been able to break it."

Rudy took in a few shaky breaths. "B-But it could still move it. What if it..."

Penny put her finger against his lip to silence him. "If you continue to think like that, then it's only going to drag you down further. Yes, there are risks and I won't pretend to think that Snap won't be hurt at all. But you aren't going to do yourself any favors if you keep dragging yourself down like this."

Rudy looked towards the ground. He didn't move and didn't speak. It was like he was getting lost in his own thoughts, trying to think of how to respond. Penny watched him for several moments, licking her lips slowly. She then took a small step forward, leaning in closer to Rudy.

"We will find a way to locate him. Don't worry. Just understand that we also have a duty to protect the other zoners." Penny lowered herself down as she stared at Rudy in the eyes. "That thing could come back and attack them as well. We need to make sure that the citizens of ChalkZone City do not fall prey to this creature." She reached out and gripped onto Rudy's shoulders tightly. " _Please..._ pull yourself together, Rudy. Let's do something about this."

She waited as the long, quiet moments passed by slowly. The longer Rudy didn't answer, the more she gritted her teeth and worried for him. If Rudy let himself be consumed for too long by his fear for Snap, then not only would that not help, but the other zoners could be hurt as well. She knew that Rudy would not want something like that to happen.

It seemed to take forever before Rudy made any sort of motion. He looked at the ground for a few seconds, his eyes indicating he was having some kind of realization. He slowly lifted his head up as he stared back at Penny. He drew in a deep breath and, at long last, he spoke up.

"Okay... Let's head into ChalkZone City then..." Rudy whispered. "...before my mom calls me down for dinner."

Penny nodded her head in agreement.

sss

This felt _so_ strange. _Never before_ had he needed to do something like this. There was no turning back now. The zoners were watching him, gathered intos such large crowds. They were waiting for ihm to speak, to explain to them why he had called them out here, why they were gathered into this crowd.

Rudy tried to ignore the bitter taste in his mouth as he was forced to utter the words he never thought he would tell the zoners. The microphone he held magnified his words so that they all could hear him. "Attention everyone! I have issued a _state of emergency!_ "

The zoners were immediately restless.

" _What's going on?!_ "

" _What happened, Great Creator?!_ "

" _Where is Snap?!_ "

Rudy could feel his heart tighten up at the mention of that name. It served as a reminder of what had happened, his failure to save Snap, the hopelessness that he felt. He couldn't even bring himself to say anything else. All he could do was just stare in shock, his lips quivering slightly as he fought back against the strong emotion that was threatening to swallow him up.

This reaction didn't go unnoticed by the zoners. Almost immediately, the zoners started to panic. They began talking more, their voices raising up, their heads moving left and right as they tried to figure out what to do. Their voices began to create a noise cloud and it was difficult for Rudy to focus. He struggled to open his mouth, yet he felt unable to, his jaws aching and hardening at each attempt.

He instinctively turned his head to the side to ask Snap for help...only to realize that he wasn't there. Rudy took in a shuddering breath as he realized how much he relied on his friends for help. To have one of them gone and missing, it felt like a shot to the face. He tried his best to keep his cool, but as time passed, this grew more and more unlikely.

Suddenly, Penny took a step up, her eyes narrowed in determination. She raised her hand up slowly as she stared down at the small crowd of frightened zoners. She cleared her throat. And as if by magic, the zoners appeared to die down their chattering. Rudy had no idea how she had managed to do that. He didn't complain, though. He took a step back as he let Penny take over.

"I know how scary this situation might be. We wouldn't issue a state of emergency if it wasn't warrented. But you all must try to remain calm and logical. If you don't keep focused, you will only make things worse." Penny looked around at each of the zoners, her eyes remaining narrowed. "You are all better than that. I believe in you. So please, try to remain calm."

The zoners looked at each other and mumbled to one another. They couldn't bring themselves to say anything directly to Penny. Rudy could see their soft glares, however, and he knew that they weren't very happy about this. He tried his best not to say anything, however, and just wanted to get things moving on.

A few moments later, as Penny realized Rudy still wasn't in the mood to try to talk, the girl continued to speak. She tried to speak with as much authority as possible. "A little while ago, our friend Snap was taken by a large winged creature. Body of a wolf, wings of a bat. We have _no_ reason to think Snap was its first victim. We want all of you to not only keep an eye out for Snap's whereabouts, but to report any missing zoners _as soon_ as possible."

Penny gave pause for a few moments to give the zoners a bit of time to process this information before she continued.

"A curfew has been issued. No one is allowed to leave their homes during their time of sleep." Penny said. Rudy flinched slightly at the term, but the zoners understood what it meant. After all, there's no day-night cycle in this world. "Remain within the city as much as possible and don't go anywhere without a buddy. Rudy and I will inform you of whenever we apprehend the creature and if we find there's been more victims, we will let you know."

With Penny finished and stepping back, Rudy suddenly felt the focus turning on him. He looked at Penny, blinking his eyes rapidly. He then looked back at the crowd. He wasn't entirely sure if he could do this. He didn't know if he could do this. But he had to at least try, _didn't he?_ Penny took care of the hard part. Now it was up to him to make sure that the zoners don't start slipping into renewed panic.

Rudy moved forward a little and he stared at the zoners around him. He could feel their stares crawling through him, threatening to rip him apart. Rudy swallowed hard and he struggled to keep his breathing steady. He exhaled slowly and eventually managed to make himself at least sound calm. He then said, "I apologize for this horrible mess. I promise to ensure the safety of all of you. You've got nothing to worry about." He smiled the best that he could, hoping to sound convincing. "Just be careful like Penny said, and try to keep yourselves from going crazy. This beast is too big to come indoors and I doubt it will even try. Not with all of you crowded together like this."

That did seem to motivate the zoners a little, but not in the way Rudy would have liked.

"Yeah, we could burn it at the stake!" A zoner shouted as they raised her fist up into the air.

Another zoner joined in. "We could take a huge knife and slice its throat open!"

" _What?!_ " Rudy wailed. He motioned his hands up and down quickly as he shouted at the zoners. "Th-That's _not_ what I meant! Killing that thing would be a _huge_ mistake!"

A few zoners glared at him. Rudy flinched at how those stares felt against himself. He bit his lip and he struggled to keep calm. But it grew increasingly difficult with how they were glaring right at him like this.

"How do _you_ know?" One zoner accused.

"Yeah, what makes you think something like that?" Another asked him.

A third zoner bared her teeth. "Don't tell us you've..."

Rudy didn't need to hear the rest of that sentence to know what the zoner was talking about. He rapidly shook his head. "N-No, that's not it! I'm just worried that if you kill this one, there might be _more._ Do you really..."

But the zoners didn't seem satisfied. If they weren't accusing him of hiding something or whatever else they could think of, they were arguing with each other or demanding more information. Rudy couldn't believe what was happening. In all his time, he's never seen the zoners quite like this. It sort of reminded him of the time when a lot of Snips were being drawn and erased into this world, which _really_ upset the zoners. But this was feeling as though it was going to climb to _a whole new_ level.

He looked over at Penny, staring at her helplessly. She looked like she was at a loss as well. The zoners almost seemed like they were settling down before. But all that seemed to be tossed out of the window now. Thanks to Rudy's poor planning and poor wording, it seemed like things were only going to get even worse. Rudy didn't know what to do, and he could tell neither could Penny.

But then...

" _Silence!_ "

A loud, booming voice rocked through the air, startling the zoners in the large crowd. They all shuddered and froze, their words stopping in the air even if they were only halfway finished. With wide eyes, they looked over and they could see a massive form emerging from behind the buildings. They immediately recognized who this was.

"Biclops!" Rudy shouted loudly. He tried to say something else, but his words failed him. All he could do was just stare as the massive zoner came in, his massive, vertical eyes glaring at the zoners down below. Despite not being aimed at him, Rudy couldn't help but flinch.

Biclops folded his arms and glared down at the zoners, who had gone silent and were cringing slightly from the sight of the angered giant zoner. "Tsk tsk tsk.." Biclops shook his head slowly. " _For shame..._ Do you see how you've been acting? Is this how we want to solve all of our problems now? Through fighting, accusing, and arguing?" Biclops held his hand up in gesture.

The zoners couldn't bring themselves to answer. A few of them hung their heads in shame.

Biclops released a small sigh, clearly not wanting to drag this on. "Look, I'll keep watch. Nothing will get by me, I assure you. If I see this... _beast_ Rudy Tabootie speaks of, I will capture it. Rest assured, it will not keep roaming around this place for _long._ " He pointed his massive thumb to his chest. "You can count on me."

Rudy and Penny smiled at this. They were glad for the giant's intervention. His words seemed to have finally soothed the zoners, many of them content with having a massive bodyguard for the city. Of course, promising something and actually doing it are two different things, though Rudy and Penny were certain that Biclops would stay true to his word.

 _But there was still the matter of figuring out how they were going to find Snap..._

sss

"You _what...?_ " Rudy and Penny stared at Biclops in shock, their eyes wide.

Biclops looked at them sadly. " _I..._ didn't want to say anything in front of them." He looked away from them, his eyes filling up with shame. "I wanted them to believe that I could stop that thing, but I've faced it before and it's...not easy."

Penny narrowed her eyes. "So you _lied_ to them? Just to get them to stop panicking? Wouldn't that make things _worse?_ "

"Perhaps, but things weren't going so well there, right?" Biclops cocked an eyebrow up as he stared at Penny. " _Which_ would _you rather_ have? That crowd to break into a panicked riot at that very moment, or would you rather them be calm and be able to follow orders and take the necessary steps to protecting themselves?"

Penny tried to think of a reply to that. She tried to think of a way to poke a hole in what Biclops had stated. But she couldn't think of anything. All she could do was just sigh in mild frustration.

Biclops closed his eyes softly. "Sometimes a lie or two are necessary in preserving as much safety for as many people as possible. That's just how it is."

Rudy nodded his head slowly. "I can see why you would think that. Just..." Rudy took a few steps forward, staring at Biclops intently. "...please try to keep your promise?"

"Don't worry. I'll do my best, even if I don't think I'm fit for it." Biclops said.

Penny still didn't like this. She would have preferred Biclops to tell the zoners the truth. But at the same time, she could undestand his point of view. After all, she and Rudy tried to reassure the zoners, but their methods didn't work and only wound up riling up the zoners more. Perhaps Biclops method, though slightly deceptive, was warranted in that case. Biclops was right. They couldn't afford a panic right then.

But there were still some things that needed to be taken care of. Biclops needed something more than just a few traps to protect the Chalk Mine, for one thing. He could leave short amounts of time. But now he was going to need something more affective in order to keep doing that. Or else he may come back to the chalk being stolen. They certainly couldn't risk Skrawl taking any. Even if that evil zoner didn't try to recruit a creator somehow, he could _still_ destroy the chalk and render them powerless. He's already tried to do that before.

And also, there was something else that needed to be addressed as well. It was something that stunned her and Rudy and it was something that she felt should not have been a secret. But she and Rudy already promised not to mention the name outloud for not. Not that it was necessary to tell the zoners the name, anyway. They were already aware of a flying beast. That was all that they really needed to know right now.

"You say you know this creature?" Rudy asked, beating her to the punch. Biclops nodded his head once. "What is its name? Where did it come from?"

"His name is Draow." Replied Biclops. "He belongs to an evil and cruel creator that I hope you never run into. He has not been in ChalkZone in years, though, so I doubt you'll have to worry about that." His eyes narrowed slowly. "But Draow is _another_ issue _entirely._ "

"Oh I'll say he's an issue." Rudy's voice was tinged in frustration and anger. "Penny and I tried to stop him, but he's constantly thwarted our attempts."

Biclops growled, "I'm not surprised. He was created to be _highly resilient_ against other creators. I've seen him take down many past creators before." Upon seeing the looks on Rudy and Penny, he said, "Yeah, to say that he's dangerous is an understatement. There's only been one zoner who could defeat him and I haven't seen that one around in a long time. I don't even know if he's still alive."

Penny flinched at this. "Well that doesn't sound very encouraging."

Biclops raised an eyebrow. "Did you expect me to tell you some miraculous thing that will surely stop Draow? Sorry, but for you, I can't do that. I trust that you know how to handle the hard truth." He shifted himself a little. "Just...do me a favor and the next time you see him, just hide. Draow is a drifter nowadays. He'll probably get bored and move onto the next area."

"But what about _Snap...?_ " Rudy asked softly. "Shouldn't we try to..."

Biclops went silent for several long moments. Then finally, he said, "I won't try to stop you, but I can't guarantee that you'll succeed." He softened up his stare, staring at the children sympathetically. "I'm _sorry._ "

Rudy and Penny didn't say a word. Penny put her hand over her mouth while Rudy just stared at the ground, silent and dejected.

sss

A million thoughts raced through Rudy's mind as he thought about Biclop's words. He couldn't get them out of his head. They kept pounding him and he was constantly forced to endure it. It was like he was locked in a neverending battle with his psyche. He didn't want to fall into despair and give up hope. _But with the way Biclops had spoken to them..._

It wasn't like Biclops told them not to try. He clearly wanted them to give it a go. He clearly wanted them to do what they can to protect ChalkZone from Draow. He was just...warning them of how hard it was going to be. That much, he and Penny could understand.

 _So why couldn't he see his words on Snap the same way?_

Biclops did make it clear that he did not advice against trying to save Snap if possible. He was simply warning him and Penny on how hard that was going to be. He made it sound as though anyone caught by Draow will never return. Rudy and Penny didn't want to believe that and it was clear neither did Biclops. Sure enough, he and Penny would do what they could to save their friend.

But Biclops's warning made him wonder just how much time they really had. Did they have as much as he thought? Was it far less? Did they have more they needed to worry about? _Were they already too late?_

The young teen rubbed the sides of his head at this dilemma. He struggled to keep his focus, but this grew difficult within seconds and he could already feel the massive headache forming. He did his best to fight against the terrible thoughts and he tried to fend off the horrible feelings that were emerging and threatening to take him over. He didn't know how long he was going to be able to handle this.

He had already been laying in bed for about two hours now, thinking about this. He adjusted himself in his bed, tossing and turning multiple times to no avail. His mind was too busy churning out thought after thought regarding Snap's situation. His emotions were a mix of determination and desperation. He was no longer crying about Snap's predicament because he had shed most of those tears a while ago. But that did not mean that his urgency to save him had diminished.

He would find his friend somehow. He didn't know how or how long it would take. But somehow, mark his words, he would find Snap and he would get him out of that terrible situation Draow had put him in. _Whatever situation that might be..._

Rudy could feel his mind filling up with horrible thoughts of what Draow might be doing with Snap right now. There were so many things that he could be doing to his best friend right now. _Was he torturing him? Was he ripping off a limb? Was he trying to feed him to someone? Was he delivering him to someone else?_ This and other thoughts plagued him, forcing his mind to remain awake and constantly shift through all the rapidly moving thoughts.

Indeed, Rudy had a continuously hard time going to sleep. The terrifying thoughts, the uncomfortable heat on his bed, and the doubt expressed from Biclops, as well as Penny's worries, were making it hard for him to fall asleep. He still tossed and turned in the bed and struggled to keep his eyes closed. It didn't take much for his eyes to feel burnt out and tired from constantly trying to keep them closed and his eyes slowly opened up, looking around slowly at the ceiling above him or at the rest of the room around him.

Then finally, at long last, he started to feel his mind starting to drift off into some much needed sleep.


	9. Twisted Nightmare

_No... Oh no..._

 _Please... not that...anything but that..._

Rudy could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest as he looked around left and right. _What had happened to this place?_ Just where was he? Everything was just... dark and smokey. It was like he was going through a thick, neverending fog. It felt like it was swirling around him, refusing to let him go.

And yet he still kept moving. He wouldn't stop. He was determined to keep on moving, determined to figure out just how to take care of this situation. He didn't know what it was, but he was compelled to keep moving. He had to keep going, or else he couldn't...

" _Bucko!_ "

Rudy lifted his head up immediately at the sound of his friend calling out for him. It sounded faint, but he knew that Snap was around here somewhere. He rushed forward, pumping his arms forward and back, his heart pounding against his chest, threatening to come out. He tried to fight against it as he rushed forward as quickly as he could, his legs burning throughout.

He could see something in the distance. _Just barely... Some sort of shape..._ As he got closer, he thought he could see a shape forming slowly. Something dark was coming out of the mist. Rudy licked his lips slowly and pushed himself to go faster, going at maximum speed and then some.

Just then, he could feel the clouds parting a little, allowing him to see the huge beast before him.

 _Draow._

Rudy widened his eyes in horror at this, seeing the wolf bat creature holding onto Snap with one of his feet, the talons wrapped around tightly. Snap was covered in blood and trembling, wriggling his way about the paw, hoping to break free. Rudy could feel his heart tightening up when Snap looked at him in fear like that.

" _R-Rudy! Please... Help me...!_ " Snap shouted loudly before silenced by the squeeze of Draow's paw.

Rudy rushed forward, but something rose from the ground. A serie of thorny vines shot up and pushed him back. He yelped in pain as he rolled around on the ground. He kept going a few times before he finally skidded to a stop. He rested there for a few moments before shaking his head and looking up.

Draow was sneering at him. The mouth corners had pulled up, giving the beast an expression Rudy had never seen before. It was somehow more chilling than jsut assuming this thing was non-sentient. Rudy watched Draow carefully as he pushed himself up from the ground, his eyes unable to leave the piercing teal orbs that appeared to glow in the encroaching darkness. Rudy could hardly focus on just how dark it was getting, nor had he noticed the slow changing hues around him. All he could see was just Draow holding Snap.

Rudy took a defensive stance. He reached into his pocket to grab his magic chalk. He wielded it in front of himself, hoping that it would be enough to deter Draow. But the creature only just laughed at him as though he was being presented with some silly gift or something. Rudy gritted his teeth and growled loudly, moving forward and jerking the chalk a little more. He tried to do whatever he could to make Draow back down, but the creature just wuldn't budge.

Soon the beast pulled his head back and he opened his mouth up a little, the sneer somehow becoming broader. Rudy felt himself jump when he heard those loud, booming chuckles coming out of the creature's mouth. Then words flowed from the open mouth despite there being little movement outside of the winged wolf licking his lips slowly.

"You think you can save your _pitiful_ friend? You didn't even try to save him before." Draow told Rudy. He raised Snap up more, shaking him from side to side like he were just a ragdoll. "Do you think you have a _chance_ to get him back from _me?_ Why, I probably would finish eating his head before you get any ideas to save him!"

At this, Draow pressed a claw against Snap's body, causing the blue zoner to scream, "Rudy, _why aren't you helping me?!_ "

Rudy felt his heart freeze at this. He took in several shaky breaths as he tried to think of how to respond. He struggled to say something. But his sentences fell short from his mouth. He soon found that he couldn't say anything else. He was just frozen still there, nothing more than forming squeaks from his mouth.

Draow just laughed at this. He moved himself forward, his back becoming parallel to the ground, and he motioned his wing towards Rudy. "You see? You won't even try to save your little pal here! I guess you really don't care!"

Rudy shook his head. "N-No... That's not..."

"Rudy..." Snap whimpered softly. Tears flowed down from his face. "Y-You don't really care about me?" It broke Rudy's heart to hear Snap say something like that to him. He never though that Snap would view him like that. "I-I thought we were best friends. Was I just a toy for you?"

Rudy could feel his mind turning into ice when Snap said that. The young boy continuously tried to think of something to tell his friend. He tried to think of a way to help him feel better, something to reassure Snap with. But his mind was just...locked, and no matter what he did, he just could not...

Without warning, Draow made his move. Rudy didn't have time to react. Draow tossed Snap up into the air and opened his jaws wide. Rudy felt his heart skipping several times before he rushed forward as quickly as he could, holding his hand out towards him, trying to grab Snap. He moved forward as fast as possible, and yet somehow, everything around him began to slow down.

"Snap! _No!_ " Rudy shouted as loudly as he could.

Everything still seemed to slow down greatly. He could feel his breath becoming shallow and his voice going dry as this happened. Snap seemed to fall in slow motion towards the gaping mouth. Rudy couldn't forget how Snap looked at him as he fell. _A look of disappointment..._

Suddenly, Snap was gone in the chomp of the beast's jaws. In an instant, Rudy was suddenly aware of the coloring around him. Things had taken on a blood red tinge, now pronounced and accented by the blood dripping from Draow's jaws. Rudy remained frozen, horrified by what had just taken place. He struggled to breathe, struggled to speak, the sound of bones cracking filling his ears, invading his mind.

 _No... Oh gawd no... Please.. This couldn't have happened..._

Rudy gripped the sides of his head and shook it slowly, his wide eyes staring at the ground. He could barely hear Draow's gloating words as he became lost in his own mind. He didn't notice the dark clouds swirling around him, closer and closer. He didn't notice the red mist covering over him, drawing in to him. He didn't notice the world starting to collapse all around him. He was only aware of his swirling, torrent of emotions. He shook and trembled for several moments before he finally couldn't take it any longer.

Rudy pulled his head back and let out a loud scream, " _Snap!_ "

sss

Rudy jolted awake in his bed, shouting, " _Snap...!_ " He took in several shaky breaths as he looked around him. Sweat dripped from his body and onto the ground. He panted heavily as he raised his hand up, wiping the sweat and tears from his face.

He continuously looked around the room, slowly getting a sense of just what had happened. It took him a while before he realized just where he was. Not outside in ChalkZone, but instead here, right back in his own home... But despite that, he was still rather shaken up, his lower lip quivering as tears continued to stain his cheeks. He pulled his legs to himself as he rested his chin on his knees.

That nightmare felt way too real. He could still hear Snap's screams in his head. He could still feel the blood from his friend dripping onto his face. He could still feel drool from that monster coming down, soaking his body in it. He could still hear his own screaming as he kept trying to breathe, a few hiccups coming about as a result of his constant sobbing.

 _This... This was... Oh gawd..._ That nightmare was going to be etched into his head. He would never forget it. Not with how detailed it was, not with that look Snap had given him... Not with how Draow just chomped down on his friend's body like it was _nothing..._

Rudy closed his eyes and let his burning tears flow more. He didn't want to think that Snap would hate him for this. He wanted to believe that Snap was smart enough to know that he would never abandon him on purpose. But... But what if Snap really did blame him for this? What if Snap felt he was the one at fault? What if he rejected him if he were to try to come to him? What if...

Rudy shook his head hard a few times before he settled down, trying his best to get those thoughts out of his head. He didn't want tot hink about that. He didn't want to believe in any of that. Snap doesn't hate him. And he was waiting for him to come rescue him.

Yeah, that's what was happening. Snap was just trapped and just waiting for him to come over and get him out of that situation. Snap wouldn't hate Rudy for what happened. Snap would be happy to see him. Snap would have faith in Rudy to come rescue him. That's just how that blue zoner was. Rudy had known him long enough to know his personality. After all, he did design him.

Rudy took in a shuddering breath as he forced himself to lay back down. It was still dark out yet and he needed to get some more sleep before tomorrow. But as he laid down to rest, he made a silent promise to look for Snap as soon as he could. He would go into ChalkZone, find Draow, defeat him, and save Snap. His best friend was counting on him to succeed.

Rudy would be sure that he wouldn't let him down.

sss

Rudy poked around silently at the piece of scrambled egg on his plate. He licked his lips slowly, wanting to take a bite from it, and yet he could not bring himself to do that. It wasn't that he was full. He just couldn't eat the rest of his food for some reason.

His parents didn't seem to notice.

"I can't believe how _exciting_ this is!" Mrs. Tabootie cried out. She rubbed her hands together rapidly, raw energy running through her body. "Today's the beginning of..."

"Oh will you calm down, Millie?" Mr. Tabootie spat lightly. He sounded upset, but really, it wasn't that much. "I know you're excited for this, but at least try to approach it with some dignity." He raised his hand up in gesture. "And just why the sudden change of heart? You were a little suspicious before."

Mrs. Tabootie blinked a few times before smiling sheepishly. "I guess that was before I understood what was going on and... _Wait_ , why are you telling me this? You were just as excited before, too! Why the change?" Mrs. Tabootie put her hands on her hips.

Mr. Tabootie shrugged his shoulders. "I am excited. I just want to approach this more calmly so that we don't screw things up again."

"And how did we do that?"

"Remember _Dr. Von Dotkor...?_ "

Rudy flinched at that name. He tried not to remember the time when he nearly exposed ChalkZone becaues he forgot to draw a stupid power supply to his creation. But what he also could not forget, which stung just as much, is when his parents found out he wasn't a genius. They were so deflated after having gotten so worked up over their son creating perpetual motion. And remembering that, his dad's behavior made sense now.

His dad didn't want them to get worked up again. He didn't want them to set themselves up for failure just like last time. His dad just wanted to err on the side of caution. His mom was just getting a little too excited. Trying to remain calm about this would be a good idea.

As for Rudy himself, he wasn't entirely sure what he thought of this idea. He wasn't sure if he should be happy about where they were going to day. He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. And he did feel a bit stupid for thinking like that. But with what happened to Snap, his mind was pretty choppy and messed up. He couldn't focus as well, which might explain why he couldn't finish his breakfast.

"I'm sorry, dear. I'm just _so..._ I mean, _not many_ people are able to see the Teddison Cosmo, the man responsible for much improvement in our quaint little down." He could hear his mother say.

His father replied, "I know. It is...unprecedented. A once in a lifetime opportunity." He gave pause for a moment and Rudy thought he could hear him release a few small coughs. "But we also need to remember that..."

Rudy could barely hear his parents at this point. As he continued to swirl his fork over the last few pieces of scrambled egg, he thought back to his earlier trip into ChalkZone. He didn't want to wait until Penny got a hold of him and they check it out together. He was so distraught over that nightmare and over his failure to save Snap that he went in by himself to try to look for his friend. He didn't care that it was six in the morning when he did this. He just wanted to try.

Sadly, there wasn't much development. None of the zoners had seen him yet and no one had noticed Draow at all. The beast's location still remained a secret. Rudy bit his lip firmly, feeling pain from his teeth pressing into flesh, as he thought about the implications of this. He didn't want to believe that it was always going to be like this. That everytime that he headed in, it was only going to lead to _more_ disappointment...

He shook his head once and tried to knock those thoughts out of his head. He could not let himself become to drawn into the despair. He reminded himself that he would keep looking for his friend. Although he didn't succeed this time around, that didn't mean that he couldn't try again. Maybe he would succeed one of these times and...

" _Oh shit..._ I lost track of time!" Rudy yelped when he felt his dad jumping up from the table, knocking into it. "Mr. Cosmo wanted to see us around ten thirty in the morning and it's already close to ten!"

His mom let out a sharp gasp. "Oh dear, you're right!" She looked over at Rudy, her eyes widening further than Rudy's ever seen them go. "Finish eating, Rudy. We need to head out in a minute!"

Rudy watched as his parents scrambled to get ready. He was beside himself in shock. He had never seen his parents move so fast like this before. _And all for some man named Mr. Cosmo..._

Well it's not like he didn't know who the guy was. But his dad just finished telling his mom to remain calm or else they might end up making things worse. Yet here he was, scrambling about like some kid getting ready to go to an amusement park. It was insane. But then again, he had seen his parents get worked up over the littlest things. So perhaps he should not really be surprised by this.

Regardless, Rudy did as he was told. Despite the fact that he was not hungry, he did force himself to eat the rest of the scrambled eggs. He didn't really care that the eggs were cold and it felt like ice slithering down his throat. He just wanted to get this done and over with so that he could focus on what he felt was most important right now:

Finding his best friend.

sss

 _This was Mr. Cosmo's place? This was where he worked at?_ It was so hard not to be drawn in by it. The shere size, the shere beauty of the design... With him being an artist at heart, Rudy could easily appreciate all of the details. His parents were just as wowed by it, but he doubted that they understood as fully as he did. They couldn't appreciate it just like he could.

The building was massive in size, stretching up, looking almost like a series of skyscrapers that were pressed together. The silver was bright and nearly glowed, and somehow it seemed to also have a tinge of green. Rudy didn't know how Mr. Cosmo managed that, but he was impressed. And how parts of the building seemed to twist around and yet _still_ blended in as one piece... Man, that must have taken quite the eye for design.

Just approaching this thing felt intimidating. Rudy licked his lips slowly as he tried to process what was happening. Each step felt stiffer and slower and he found it increasingly difficult to keep going. He took in breath after breath as his eyes constantly scanned up and down, staring at the building. He swallowed hard as he forced his stiff legs to keep moving.

It seemed to take forever before they reached the door. They paused for a moment, collecting their thoughts. Then, slowly, they entered the building.

The inside of the building was more massive than they thought it would be. In fact, it seemed to be larger than the building was on the outside. They didn't know how this feat was performed, but they were caught in amazement at the very sight of it. Their breaths were held in their mouth as they entered in very slowly, taking the time to explore the details of where they were and what was going on with the design of the building.

It was nice and brightly colored, with rows upon rows of fluorescent lighting. Everything almost felt like a saturated white color and yet somehow, it didn't seem to hurt the eyes. That might be due to the material of choice. It was hard to tell if this was actual wood or just painted wood, but whatever it was, somehow it helped to absorb some of the lightning. It felt like such a sharp contrast, seeing this wood seem like it was both white and not, but that's how it was. _Just how_ did Mr. Cosmo manage to do _this?_

The family of three continued their way further in. The area they had arrived in had a tall ceiling with a window above them, letting in some natural lighting. Then there was the hallway in front of them. A short one where the wall from the arrival area seemed to shoot down and cross over, creating a sharp transition. The area went from feeling open and inviting to, somehow, more serious and focused in the span of a few moments.

Swallowing hard, Rudy forced himself to continue forward. He fumbled with his hands a little as he went, his teeth clenching tightly. He didn't know what to expect when they would arrive at their destination. He hadn't fully known how to feel about this meeting before, but now that he was heading in, now that he was going to meet Mr. Cosmo in his own place, after seeing all of this, it was enough to make him hesitate a little, realizing just what a bit deal this truly was. He could feel his heart racing against his chest as he let all of this sink in.

He and his parents soon arrived at the end of the small hallway, where it suddenly turned a sharp right. They didn't know if this was where they were supposed to be going or not. But there was literally nothing else here to guide them with. They looked at one another, exchanging looks of nervousness, but they also tried to reassure each other. Surely, this wouldn't be that bad.

Then they finally saw what looked to be a small window on the side. Was this where people had to sign in? The family approached slowly, moving in cautiously, their eyes watching cautiously and with much anticipation as they tried to see who was there.

They did not expect to see Mr. Cosmo sitting in the chair, staring out at them.

Immediately, Rudy and his parents were startled, jumping back away as they looked at the man in shock. They struggled to say something, but their words were just muddled together, interlocking in a huge mess, just a jumble of words.

Mr. Cosmo didn't seem to mind this. Instead, he just interlocked his fingers slowly and smield at the family. "Did I _surprise_ you?"

Mr. Tabootie spluttered a little. He swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and he tried again. "W-Well, we thought that was where we sign in and..."

Mr. Cosmo raised his hand up slowly. "Oh don't worry. It is. You aren't lost. _Here..._ " He reached underneath the opening of the glass window. He pushed a piece of paper towards the family. "...please fill this out and we can get started as soon as possible."

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie looked at one another before they looked back at Mr. Cosmo. Rudy could see how confused and nervous they looked. Despite that, he could see his dad reaching out for the clipboard with the pen attached to it.

"Oh and if you want to know why I'm here... Well, I often prefer doing these things myself, you know?" Mr. Cosmo raised his hands up at his sides for a few seconds. "It's a good way of making sure that things go exactly how I want them to. Sometimes, to do a job _right_ , you have to do it _yourself._ " He motioned his hands towards the parents. "Wouldn't you agree?"

Mrs. Tabootie fumbled with a strand of hair for a bit and said, "I do agree that does make some sense..."

Mr. Tabootie gave a slow nod. "I think I see where you are coming from. Well anyway..." He looked down at the clipboard, bit his lip, and looked back at Mr. Cosmo. "We'll fill this out as soon as we can."

" _Excellent._ " Mr. Cosmo smiled.

"And after this?" Mrs. Tabootie asked.

Mr. Cosmo's eyes twinkled a little. "Then we begin your son's assessment. I do think he holds a lot of promise. What he's about to do today..." He leaned in closer, resting his arms on the table, elbows cocked outward, his grey-blue eyes staring intently at the parents. "...will determine just what kind of promise that is."

sss

The young fifteen year old boy struggled to keep up with Mr. Cosmo. That guy moved quite fast, something that wouldn't have been easily suspected from his physical appearance. Not that he was out of shape or anything. He just didn't come across as someone who could move this quickly. "Mr. Cosmo, is this _really_ necessary?"

"But of _course!_ In order to determine your skill, we need to ensure _maximum_ _efficiency!_ " Mr. Cosmo raised his finger up towards the air. "The best way to do that is to put you in a nice, quiet room, away from everyone else. Your parents and I would only affect your scores." He looked over his shoulder and stared at Rudy. "Have you never taken a test like this before? _Alone?_ "

Rudy answered, "I think I have, but not like this." Rudy flinched when he said that. "I-I mean..."

Mr. Cosmo chortled softly. "That's all right. I think I get what you mean. Now..." With a smile still on his face, the red-haired man looked out ahead, his arms folded behind his back. "...once we get to the room and you are settled down, I will give you an hour to complete the tests. I have given you three of them. Don't worry, they aren't too long. I have chosen specific questions for this task. They are focused and will reveal more about your potential than some long, hundred-question test."

Rudy wasn't entirely sure how that was possible. He couldn't help but stare at the man with some skepticism. But he did not attempt to counter the man. He didn't really feel that it was his place to do so. Instead, he just watched him carefully and wondered just what was going to happen. He still didn't know what the man planned to do with these tests right after. He was light on those details.

Rudy looked out ahead and he saw that they were rapidly approaching a room at the end of this hallway. The room had a label on the side that read ' **Warning: Test Happening Inside** '. Kind of awkward wording. He'd certainly seen better at his school. But it seemed to serve its purpose.

The teenager didn't say a word as they got close enough for Mr. Cosmo to reach out and grab onto the door knob. Mr. Cosmo turned it easily, allowing Rudy to step inside. The boy looked around, noticing how this room was a bit smaller than he thought, but didn't feel too crowded. There were some rows of computers with walls around them for privacy, a small round table with a single chair, and a chalkboard on the side.

Oh and some weird black window that confused him. He did notice how they walked, it did shine of several colorations. He wondered if it was there to help calm people taking tests. It did seem pretty relaxing.

Rudy turned around and asked, "Where do I take the test?"

Mr. Cosmo motioned to the computer located right up against the corner, to his right. "That computer should have the tests right there. I put them there because you can either just take the test right at the computer. I have a program set up for it. It'll make things quicker for me. But..." He then looked over at the small table. " _..if_ you would rather do it by hand, that's fine. Either way will work."

Rudy nodded his head slowly. He looked over at the clock, taking note of what time it was now versus how long Mr. Cosmo had allocated for him. "So... I guess I better get started, right...?"

Mr. Cosmo smiled. "If you need more time, feel free to ask me. That small red button on the wall? It'll connect you to me and you can just ask." He let out a small chuckle and said, "But you're a bright child, aren't you? I don't think you need more time..." He stared into Rudy's eyes, almost as though trying to pierce his soul. "... _do you...?_ "

"I-I..." Rudy moved back, feeling his heart clench for a moment. In a split second, Mr. Cosmo's face returned to normal. But that still didn't fully calm him down. He looked at the man, breathing in a little quickly. He then said, "Y-Yeah, I'll be fine." Rudy cleared his throat and tried to sound confident. "I'll be done before the hour is up."

"That's a good lad. See, having some determination doesn't hurt." Mr. Cosmo moved towards the door. "Now, I shall leave you to it. _Good luck!_ " Soon he shut the door behind him, leaving Rudy alone in the room.

Rudy stared at the door for several long moments. He bit his lip, licking his tongue over it slowly, before turning his head to look back at where the test was located at. He swallowed hard, glanced up the clock above him, and then forced himself to walk over towards the computer.

His head began to fill up with so many questions. Some of them, Mr. Cosmo already answered, but Rudy didn't feel fully satisfied with them. Others just left him in a state of confusion. Some weren't even answered at all, as he couldn't ask them. There were just some things that he couldn't completely understand about what was going on here.

Mr. Cosmo saw potential in him, sure. But just what kind of potential? What about his scores impressed him? Rudy could not imagine why Michelle didn't get chosen, or even Penny, who was certainly a lot smarter than him. He wasn't being down on himself, either. It was the truth. There were so many other potential people to choose. So why, _out of all people_ , did Mr. Cosmo choose to further test _him?_ He knew that Penny was not doing this because she clearly stated that Mr. Cosmo never sought her out. It was just him.

Rudy narrowed his eyes slowly. He did hope that things would be explained eventually. He hoped that, at some point, he would come to understand just what Mr. Cosmo wants. But in the meantime, he had only one option, and that was taking the test.

Rudy went over to the computer and grabbed onto the papers. He held it up, seeing how they were all neatly stapled. The instructions were clear and easy to read, and he had been provided with a numbe two pencil to help mark in the answers. He looked at the computer before him, remembering Mr. Cosmo's words. But he never did feel too comfortable using a computer. He was always a hands-on sort of guy. So he took Mr. Cosmo's offer of just sitting down in thte chair and doing this manually instead of crunching it into the computer.

Upon seeing the questions, Rudy couldn't help but blink a few times. This was not entirely what he was expecting. It was still similar to Mr. Cosmo's tests, but he didn't think that the subject would revolve around art so much. Had Mr. Cosmo guessed that just from his tests before? Was he focusing on finding someone with an artistic skill to help him change the world, or whatever he was talking about before?

Well, the man did say that even the 'lowly artist' would benefit from this, _so..._

Rudy wasn't sure how much time had passed before he finally put the pencil down for a break and look up at the clock. He noticed that it had been twenty minutes so far, and he filled out he would say...a quarter of the way through. He was making some good time. If he kept it up at this rate, he would be finished pretty soon. He just needed to...

Rudy let the pencil drop as he rested his elbows on the table and held up his head. He gritted his teeth and hissed softly, feeling his head spinning a little. He felt a sudden onslaught of emotions hitting him like a hurricane, and suddenly it became hard, if not near impossible, to concentrate on this test.

 _What was going on with Snap? What about the other zoners? Had Draow appeared again?_ Rudy's head continued to pound with these questions, which repeated themselves over and over again. A dull headache spread throughout and he was unable to focus on much else for much longer.

He released a small grunt as he pushed himself against the table, letting out a small sigh as his hands gripped the sides of his head tightly. He looked down at the test. He could hear the sound of the second head ticking away, the minute hand moving slowly, creaking along. Rudy tried his best to ignore it, but no matter what he tried, it seemed almost impossible to do. His headache only got worse and worse...

...that is, until he eyed the chalkboard. Rudy could barely turn away from it. His eyes focused intently on it as he felt his tongue wetting his drying mouth. Some thoughts moved through his head and he tried to struggle with sorting them and understanding them.

Did he really want to do it? Did he really want to get up and leave just to see what's going on ChalkZone? He already checked this morning, and he already decided that he should wait until after this was all done before he did so. This test was only going to last another, what, forty minutes? Surely, things would still be how they are in forty minutes, _right?_

But he was aware of how fast things do change. Sometimes, all it takes is a _single minute_ for all things to go _wrong..._

He looked back down at the test. How would he even begin to justify leaving? Would he even have enough time? He had no idea how far out he was from ChalkZone City. He hadn't noticed how far his parents drove or in what direction. This would make navigating ChalkZone pretty hard. He might as well wait until after he got home and...

 _...but what if he didn't get home until late...? What if by the time he did look, something worse happened...? What if..._

All this worrying about Snap and the other zoners caused his stomach to churn inside of him. He tried to rub his hands against his stomach, hoping that would soothe it. But it seemed to have no effect on it. If anything, it seemed to start making it worse and he struggled not to throw up.

There was no way that he could keep taking this test. He needed a bit of fresh air. He needed to stop and take a rest. Clear up his mind. It was the only way that he could possibly finish this. He did feel bad about stopping right now after he had been on such a role. But if Mr. Cosmo wanted his optimal performance, he would need understand the need for a rest. Rudy will finish this test in time. He just needed a small break for now.

Rudy stared over at the chalkboard once more. He did bring his magic chalk with him. He always did. He could just take a peak inside and see what was going on. That wouldn't hurt, right? Maybe he would run into a zoner that he could speak to. Someone that could give him an update on what was going on. Then he could maybe search a little while for Snap, but stick with that immediate area so he wouldn't take long to get back.

Rudy decided that there was no more time to waste. If he wanted to check on Snap and the zoners, if he wanted to push aside these emotions so he could finish this stupid test...

With his eyes narrowing slowly, softly, Rudy took a moment to look around. It didn't seem like there were any cameras hidden in here. There didn't seem like there were any signs of a window and certainly no signs of someone in the hallway, coming in or not. He looked back up the clock to see how much time he had left. With that in mind, he looked back towards the chalkboard.

He walked up towards the chalkboard. He reached into his pocket to pull out his magic chalk. He stared at the sparkling piece of white stick for a couple of seconds, took another look around the room, and then he proceeded to draw a portal on the somewhat small chalkboard. The light flashed in his eyes and he looked away, holding his arm up, then he looked through the opening, seeing the details of ChalkZone inside. Without much hesitation, Rudy immediately crawled through the portal, disappearing inside.

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of eyes were watching him intently.

sss

Mr. Cosmo watched in silence, his fingers tapping against one another, as he watched the teenager do something that most people wouldn't believe if he told them.

Disappearing into the chalkboard.

The man remained still for several long moments, his mind trying to ponder if what he had seen was truly real or not. He kept staring long hard, waiting to see any sort of sign that this had been faked or not. He felt his stomach churn slightly, emotion starting to move through him rapidly, as he waited for any possible hallucination to clear up.

But as time passed, things stayed the same. Through the one way mirror he had set up, cleverly disguised as a black rainbow thing to anyone looking in from the other side, he was able to see the glowing opening that was the portal. The chalkboard was illuminated as was anything close to it. The portal showed no signs of being closed. A _bold_ move by the teenager, he would say so himself. He must be really confident that no one was going to come in and see this.

But for all his artistic intellect, for all his ability to notice the details, it would seem the teenager hadn't yet noticed the trap that he had _just walked into._ Mr. Cosmo smiled to himself, proud of what he had been able to accomplish. He knew that his efforts would be worth it.

He turned his attention to Ms. Saffron, who had just arrived. She was moving in slowly, her wide eyes staring at the mirror. It was obvious she had seen what he saw as well. She was struggling to speak, but her voice consistantly failed her. Mr. Cosmo watched this for a few moments before turning his attention back to the chalkboard.

Slowly, his eyes furrowed softly. This wasn't exactly what he thought would happen. He had been jumping a little at straws, taking some guesses and some risks. _To find this child this quickly..._ He would need to bump up his plans a little bit. Fortunately, he had already been doing something pretty similar before. It was just a matter of time before it would all fall into place.

"S-S-Sir... _what's..._ " Ms. Saffron spoke up, her voice a hushed whisper.

Mr. Cosmo looked over his shoulder. A single blue-grey eye pierced through Ms. Saffron. "It would seem that we have went to the right school after all..." He turned his head as he watched the open portal. "I think we've found our perfect...candidate."

"Really? You _still_ want that..." Ms. Saffron whispered softly. Staring at the chalkboard for a moment, she moved in closer, holding her hands and arms to herself. She was still in a state of shock of seeing the open portal this quickly. "You are _sure_ about this?"

"As sure as ever." Mr. Cosmo spoke with confidence. "Now..." His voice remained quiet, nothing more than a mere whisper, as he barked out the order, "Inform our ally of the news."

Ms. Saffron gasped at this, her eyes widening as her hand moved to her mouth. "This soon? But sir..."

Mr. Cosmo swerved his head in her direction, cutting her off. "I know he's already had his work cut out for him. But still, be a dear and tell him." He slowly turned his head as he looked at the portal. His frown remained on his face for a few moments before a darkened smile spread along his face. "Things are about to get very... _interesting._ "

Ms. Saffron hesitated for a moment. Then she turned and walked away.


	10. Confusion Admist The Drama

Mrs. Tabootie tried to remain as calm as she could. She kicked her feet against one another. She fumbled with her hands. She looked around, left and right, trying to think of what to do pass the time. It would be a while before Rudy would come out. So she needed to do something until that happened. She didn't know how long she had been standing here, but already she could feel her legs kicking about, unable to contain the energy storing up inside of them.

Her husband seemed to be doing only slightly better. He wasn't fidgeting around as much and he looked pretty calm reading that newspaper. But she could tell just by looking into his eyes that he was not as relaxed as she thought he looked. His eyes were filled with nervousness, a trait that she could easily see after being married to this man for so long. It was easy to tell with how his eyes were that it was just plainly obvious to see that he was upset as well.

Okay, so upset was not the best word. But still, Mr. Tabootie was as troubled as her about this and he was trying to keep himself as calm as possible. Mrs. Tabootie wanted to say something to calm him down, but she couldn't think of anything herself. And how could she herself help him when she was not so calm, _either?_ It just didn't make a ton of sense and she _just..._

Mrs. Tabootie cleared her throat as she got up from the chair. She was getting a little bored just sitting around. She started to pace around in the room slowly, her hands on her hips, occassionally folding back behind her. She let her eyes close a little, letting them rest a bit. She reopened them and she glanced up at the clock.

"Joe, _how long_ did Mr. Cosmo say the test will be?" She asked as she turned her head to stare at her husband.

Mr. Tabootie hardly looked up from his newspaper. "I think around an hour I think?"

Mrs. Tabootie looked up at the clock again. It wasn't yet an hour, but for some reason, it felt like much more time had passed. Things had been slowing down to a crawl for her and it was getting rather irritating. She licked her lips a couple of times before she kept on walking about, trying to burn off some of this excess energy.

But she wasn't sure how much longer she could do this. Each second that went by felt like many minutes. They didn't get any word from Mr. Cosmo about when he would come back to see them, or what precisely would happen after Rudy was done. Would he come out right away? Or would he end up staying back and speaking to him longer? And just what were she and Mr. Tabootie expected to do in the meantime?

She did feel a little bad for not figuring out a better way to control herself. She wished that she could follow her husband's advice and just chill. _But if even he wasn't able to calm down..._

Finally, after struggling so hard to control herself, she just exhaled forcibly, unable to stop the grown that came out. "What is taking so long?" She heard herself mutter.

Mr. Tabootie lowered the newspaper and glared softly at her. "You don't have a lot of patience, do you?" He motioned down to the magazines that he was sitting nearby. "Come on, read one of these."

Mrs. Tabootie looked down and felt her lip curl up at the sight of them. "I don't like any of those magazines."

Mr. Tabootie groaned as he put his hand against his face, rubbing it up and down slowly. "I don't get what you want. I told you that it would be an hour. I would think that you would have more self control than this."

"I do have self control. It's just that..."

"It's just that... _what...?_ "

Mrs. Tabootie opened her mouth to speak. But she quickly shut it. She wasn't really sure what to say at this. Just how should she respond to her husband's question? He was making a valid point. Why was she getting all carried away like this? She was normally not like this. Was it really for the fact that this was Mr. Cosmo? She could control herself initially, but then she just... Mrs. Tabootie couldn't help but lower her head in shame.

Mr. Tabootie sighed softly. "Now dear, don't beat yourself up over this. We'll get everything sorted out soon. I doubt it'll take much longer for Rudy to be finished."

Mrs. Tabootie hoped that her husband was right. She one more took a look at the clock behind her. Only about five minutes passed so far. It was going to take a long time, but she imagined that some answers will be given out soon enough. It was just a matter of time and patience. She couldn't just...

That was when she felt her heart sting slightly as she thought about her so once more. She wondered how he was doing. She hoped that the test was not too stressful, though she didn't really know what to expect. She and her husband were not allowed to go see him because Mr. Cosmo wanted him to be able to focus. While she could understand that, she did want to at least be able to make sure he was doing okay. Was she being a bit _too_ protective of him? Maybe, but she was his mom. What did anyone else expect her to do?

She was about to ask Joe something else when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. She felt her stomach burn slightly in excitement when she thought it was Mr. Cosmo. She whirled her head in the direction where it was coming from. But when the door to the waiting room opened up, she felt herself deflate when she saw it was just Ms. Saffron.

"Oh hello, Ms. Saffron." She could hear her husband say. "What a pleasant surprise. We weren't expecting to see you here just now."

"I doubt you were." Ms. Saffron nodded her head slowly. She moved in a little further into the room. She left the door wide open behind her. She paid that no mind as she clasped her hands together and stared intently at the Tabooties. "How have you two been doing?"

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie looked at each other when the woman asked this. They blinked a few times, pondering what this could have meant. They didn't expect her to ask that sort of question. Then again, she was just being polite.

Looking back at her, Mrs. Tabootie was the one who responded. "We've been doing fine, thank you. I..." She tried to speak further, but her voice got caught in her throat. She put her hand to her throat and gently rubbed it up and down as she struggled to say something.

Mr. Tabootie stepped in. "My w... I mean, we both had been wandering how Rudy is. Do you know when the test will be over?" He stopped himself for a moment before he correctd himself. "I mean, we know it's supposed to be an hour. I just mean that..."

"How long is it before he's done?" Ms. Saffron asked.

Mr. Tabootie nodded his head. "If it isn't _too much_ trouble..."

Ms. Safforn waved her hand from side to side. "Not any trouble at all. Unfortunately, there is not much that I could tell you on that." She held her hand up in gesture. "Even I'm not allowed to go back there and interfere with your son. So we'll just all have to wait and see."

Mrs. Tabootie said, " _Oh..._ Well, okay..."

Ms. Saffron tilted her head to one side. "Is something wrong."

"No, not really." Replied Mrs. Tabootie.

"She's just excited. So am I." Mr. Tabootie said with a small smile. "I mean, this is probably one of the biggest deals we've ever become a part of."

Ms. Saffron gave a smile back. "I know. I can understand your excitement." The woman took a moment to look at them before placing one hand against the top of her other hand and tapped her fingers against it in a thinking stance. She took a moment to look around the room and she seemed to notice just how empty it really felt in here. She gave an expression that said that she clearly thought there could be more in here. "Would you be interested in coming with me to talk? Mr. Cosmo did allow me to answer any questions you might have had but didn't ask before."

Mrs. Tabootie could feel her eyes lighting up at this. She immediately straightened herself up and moved closer to the woman. Before she could stop herself, she immediately nodded her head feverishly and cried out, "Y-Yes, _please!_ "

" _Millie..!_ " Mr. Tabootie called out. He then turned to Ms. Saffron and said, "I do apologize for my wife. She is just really excited and..."

"Yeah you already told me. And that's fine. I'm sure you have questions too, good sir?" Ms. Saffron asked.

Mr. Tabootie rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I do." He said softly, forcing himself to admit the truth.

Ms. Saffron's smile broadened. Well then just follow me. I'll take you to my room and we can discuss things there." And with that, the woman turned and started to head towards the door. Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie immediately followed behind her closely.

sss

This was going to bite him back in the ass at some point, _wasn't it?_ Somehow, he had a feeling that him coming all the way out here was going to be a problem. Just why did he come _all_ the way out _here?_ Why did he break his own rules? Even after telling himself that he shouldn't do this, he still went and...

Well, there was nothing that he could do about it now. He was here, so he might as well just go on with it. At least it didn't take as long as he thought to get back to ChalkZone City. Now it was just a matter of trying to find someone to speak to. That might be difficult as most zoners seemed to be gone, likely hiding from sight of potential danger. He didn't want to bother the zoners inside, so he kept moving along, hoping to find someone.

It was around then that he ran into Rapsheeba. The zoner had been moving down the street pretty quickly, looking as though she was in a rush. Rudy could see the panicked look in her eyes and he nearly jumped at just how piercing her stare was. He had to quickly scramble to get out of the way before she accidentally ran into her.

It didn't take long before Rapsheeba realized who she had run into. " _Rudy!_ " She called out, her voice filled with shock and worry. "I'm _so glad_ I found you!"

Rudy took a moment to silently examine Rapsheeba. She didn't appear injuried, at least. So that put his mind at some ease. But not completely. There was still something clearly going on and he needed to know what it was. There was no way that Rapsheeba would be running like this if it was not important. He bit his lip softly as he tried to push aside his exaggerating thoughts. "What's going on, Rapsheeba?"

The singer zoner was definitely emotionally distraught. As she spoke, her voice was heavy and strained and she spoke pretty quickly. It was like she had so many things she wanted to say at once that it just came out in the air like water onto the ground.

"Th-The beast came _again..._ And it... _He..._ and it's just awful. We've found that more zoners had disappeared since you told us of this thing!"

Rudy's eyes widened and he gasped in shock. " _What? More?_ But when I was here this morning, no one was..." His voice trailed off, unable to bring himself to continue.

Rapsheeba nodded her head. "Yeah it was fine up until a little while ago." Rapsheeba shifted her head, looking out behind her. It was hard to say what she was looking at within the city. "About ten minutes before you arrived, I noticed a shadow on the ground and I sounded the alarm. The other zoners heard it and they ran into their homes."

Well, that would explain why the city felt a bit empty.

"Not _all_ of us made it. I could hear that a few zoners were caught in that thing's claws." Rapsheeba put her hand on her face as a look of sorrow plastered over it. "I wish I could have done something to help them, but I was just too scared and I..." Tears flowed down the singer zoner's face as she struggled to wipe them away. "I'm pretty pathetic, aren't I?"

Rudy shook his head, unable to believe what she said. " _No!_ You're _fine!_ " Rudy moved in closer, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have done anything." He stared down at her with the most compassionate smile that he could think of. "Don't blame yourself. At least you managed to save most of the zoners. There's that."

Rapsheeba sniffled a little. "Yeah but if I had moved faster, maybe the others would have been saved as well...and..."

Rudy couldn't help but stare at the zoner with a strong sense of sympathy. Poor Rapsheeba, blaming herself like this. He could understand her pain. He himself still felt guilty over what happened to Snap. But just as he didn't give up on saving his friend, he was not going to let Rapsheeba give up, either. She might not have been able to save a few people, but she could at least help the ones that were still around.

Without thinking, without speaking, the teenager took a step forward and bent his leg so that he was reduced to her height. She stared at him in teary confusion, and then stiffened up a little when he reached around and grabbed onto her, pulling her into a hug. Rapsheeba soon relaxed and leaned against Rudy for support, letting her arms wrap around him.

The two stayed like this for several moments before they finally parted and looked at one another. Rudy remained silent for a bit as he let Rapsheeba wrestle with her thoughts. He gave her the time that she needed to clear her head before he would try to speak to her again. Whatever else she wanted to say to him, it must be very important.

Only when he was sure that she was fine enough did he try to speak, "Just who was taken, Rapsheeba?"

The singer zoner turrned her head to the side. "W-Well I know that Blocky and Lars have been taken."

" _What...?_ " Rudy whispered in shock, his eyes going wide. He felt his body stiffening up at the realization that yet another creation of his was taken away. But he'd feel this way towards any zoner taken out of this place. Especially by a monster like Draow. "D-Did you see where they were taken to?"

Rapsheeba nodded her head, which made Rudy's heart jump with joy...sort of. He doubted Rapsheeba could give too much information, but this is the closest that he's gotten to figuring out where to go to find Snap. She motioned her head in one direction. "He flew off in that direction over there."

Rudy followed Rapsheeba's head and then...

He immediately froze. The direction that she was pointing in, it was leading right where Mr. Cosmo's building was. That was the very same direction. _Was... Was Rapsheeba trying to say that.. Was Penny right to be cautious...? Was Mr. Cosmo..._

Rudy gritted his teeth and tried to fight off these emotions. He didn't really have any proof of this. Other than being a little creepy, Mr. Cosmo hadn't done anything in particular that would make him this suspicious of him. If anything, the man had lived up to his reputation and didn't come off as particularly dangerous or anything. He might just be overreacting to this stuff and things weren't as bad as he thought.

 _And yet..._ He couldn't deny that, even if Draow just happened to fly in this direction, it did seem awfully convenient that this was the case. It could be coincidence, but then, _what if it's not?_ What if there's something more going on? What if there was something more to that building than met the eye?

...or maybe Rapsheeba indicated beyond that place. Draow might have flown further. It was really difficult to say right now, and he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Looking back at Rapsheeba, he watched as she shuddered and cried a little, obviously mourning over the loss of Lars and Blocky. Rudy could feel his heart going out to them as well, and he silently hoped that they would be okay. He moved his hand over Rapsheeba once more and pulled her into a half hug. She looked up at him expectantly.

"I'll do my best to find them all and stopping that beast once and or all." Rudy spoke, trying to sound as confident as possible. "You can count on me for that."

Rapsheeba gave him a smile, but then she frowned slightly. "I do hope that you fair better than Biclops did."

Rudy widened his eyes at this, suddenly feeling uncomfortable around Rapsheeba. That took quite a feat to accomplish when it came to Rapsheeba. "What do you mean?"

Rapsheeba's glare remained but she still had something of a soft expression. It was clear that she was more disappointed than actually angry. "Biclops promised to protect us, but he was not around to fight that thing." She gritted here teeth tightly and Rudy shuffled uncomfortably. "H-He had _promised..._ "

Rudy could sense the agony in the zoner's voice, as well as her sense of betrayal. Rudy couldn't think of how to reply to this. He and Penny had suspicions that the truthw ould come out and the zoners would realize that Biclops was not as capable as he claimed to be. Already more zoners had gone missing. He wondered if more zoners had started to doubt the giant.

Knowing that Rapsheeba would be upset with him, he decided it would be best if he refrained from telling her that Biclops confessed to him about the situation. The singer zoner didn't need more reasons to be upset, anyway. So instead, he felt it was better to focus on something else. Perhaps there was something else that they could...

Rudy had to stop his train of thought when he realized that he had been gone a little longer than he would have liked. Mr. Cosmo might be coming back to check up on him. _And he left the portal open..._

He hated to have to cut this short, but if he didn't get back there quickly, he was going to get into a lot of trouble. Actually, that was the underestimating best case scenario. It would actually end up horrific for ChalkZone. What would that man do if he saw the portal and saw that this place existed? What if he tried to keep him in that room and force him to tell him about all about that world? What if he tried to do something, _like experiment on the zoners?_

He quickly looked at Rapsheeba, who seemed a bit startled by his sudden change in demeanor. He did feel guilty, but the adrenaline pumping through his body reminded him that time was of the essence. He can always come back in here later and actually do what he had intended, and that was try to see if he can find Snap and Draow. If Rapsheeba was correct in her statement, and if she really did see a massive, flying beast head back where the portal was, then maybe that's where he'd go next. His previous suspicions about Mr. Cosmo dropped as they were replaced with feelings of determination.

"I need to get out of here." Rudy froze when he said that. Well that sounded really rude. He looked to the side and he could see the way that Rapsheeba was looking at him. He took in a deep breath and he exhaled slowly. "Sorry about that. What I meant to say is that... _Well..._ " He rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sort of enveloped in something right now, and if I don't head back..."

He was going to tell her about the potentiality of ChalkZone's exposure. But he quickly stopped himself. Again, Rapsheeba's already going through so much. This wasn't something that he particularly needed to tell her. At least, not right now. Maybe after all of this has blown over.

"I promise I'll be back later." Rudy told Rapsheeba. "Just inform me when I get back of any new happenings. And keep up with the good work protecting the other zoners and yourself."

Rapsheeba still seemed a little confused. But nonetheless, she smiled very slightly and nodded her head once. "A-Alright, Rudy..." Rapsheeba whispered softly. She raised her hand up and waved at him. "See you l-l-later..."

Rudy felt guilty about having to leave Rapsheeba like this. He felt bad to force her to spend some time alone in this city that was being ravaged by Draow. But he would be of no help to no one if he stayed here and allowed ChalkZone to get exposed. So he turned himself around and began to rush back in the direction he had come from.

He was once again thankful that it wasn't that far. But a part of him still slapped himself mentally anyway. Regardless of the distance, it was still a bit too out of the way. Every second that passed was time that he lost ensuring that Mr. Cosmo didn't see the portal. He could draw something, but that would just waste even more time, plus what if the man heard the thing? Right now, his mind was racing too much to think completely clearly, so he focused on just trying to get away as quickly as possible.

When he arrived at the portal, he immediately slowed himself down. He stared at the portal cautiously, licking his lips slowly. He didn't want to rush this. He didn't want to make any sort of slip ups. So he carefully, slowly, made his way over, trying to be as quiet as he could. He peered in and slowly looked around.

 _Oh thank goodness_ , it was _still_ empty. The room, that is. There was no one to be found in there. Rudy quickly climbed into the room and erased the portal behind him. He fumbled with his magic chalk. He dropped it on the ground. He reached down to grab it, but then he heard footsteps. His heart tightened up and skipped a few beats before he quickly put the piece of chalk into his pocket.

 _Just in time._

The door swung open and he could see Mr. Cosmo walking in. His arms were folded behind his back as he stared at the teen curiously. Rudy was too stunned to say anything first.

"Well, you seem to be done pretty quickly." Mr. Cosmo commented.

Rudy blinked a few times before looking back at the test. He sucked in a sharp breath when he realized that he never actually finished. Staring at the clock, time had already run out. He felt a little sick when he realized just how much time he had actually spent in ChalkZone. He rubbed his stomach lightly, scolding himself for not just getting the damned test done. Now what was Mr. Cosmo going to say?

"M-Mister... I didn't..." Rudy swallowed hard. He had to confess this right away. The man was going to find out, anyway. "I didn't finish it..."

Mr. Cosmo stood there, blinking a few times. Then he said, "Oh? Why not? Was it too much of a challenge?"

Rudy tried to think of what to say to that question. He struggled to think of some sort of answer. But he ultimately just blanked.

Mr. Cosmo raised his handa nd moved it from side to side. "Oh don't worry about that. I'll still look at what you did anyway." Mr. Cosmo sounded surprisingly chill despite things. Rudy would have thought that he would have scolded him for delaying things. Rudy watched in silence as Mr. Cosmo headed to where his paperwork was. "Let me see what you've managed to do."

Rudy didn't bother trying to stop the man as he picked up the papers and took a look at them. He still remained frozen, struggling to breathe, as he watched the man sift through them. He cringed and gritted his teeth, fully expecting the man to react in some harsh, negative manner. But nothing could have prepared him for what the man actually said.

" _Well well well..._ " Mr. Cosmo's eyes seemed to twinkle, brightening up. "This is better than I would have expected."

Rudy was dumbfounded. "Wh-What? R-R-Really...?" Rudy couldn't think of what else to say about this.

Mr. Cosmo smiled and nodded his head affirmatively. "Yes. I don't think I need to see the rest of the test to know that you would have performed really well in it." The man moved in closer. He reached out and looped his arm around Rudy and pulled him close. "My boy, you are looking to a rather bright future ahead of you." The man motioned his hand outward dramatically. "I can guarantee you that."

Rudy wanted to be happy about this. He struggled to smile. But for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead of feeling an excited sensation, it was more burning, as though something felt a little wrong here. Rudy tried to push the thought aside for now and he opted to return a smile to Mr. Cosmo.

sss

Mr. Cosmo had spent the next few minutes going over every answer that Rudy had managed to give. Rudy remained quiet and moved back to give him the space and room that he needed to do this. It was difficult looking away as the man kept flipping through the pages that were done, and it was hard not to notice how his smile seemed to broaden more and more.

A part of Rudy wasn't really sure why this was happening. From how Mr. Cosmo behaved before, shouldn't he have been a _little_ upset, at least? Mr. Cosmo sounded as though he wanted the test done and completed. _For him to act like it wasn't a big deal all of a sudden..._ Perhaps this is why he started to feel as though something was off.

But despite that, Rudy still wanted to try to give the man the benefit of the doubt. There was no harm in what he was doing and his parents can always bail him out if they saw any reason not to trust this man. Mr. Cosmo could not do anything without his parents' permission, as far as he knew. If he did try something, he would get into trouble with the local authority. Even if he were well known, that still didn't really change much.

Checking the test didn't take as long as the boy thought it would have. Either the man was going really fast or maybe he didn't complete as much of the test as he thought he would have. Either way, within, like, fifteen minutes, he was already hearing Mr. Cosmo congratulating him on a job well done and ushering him out to meet up with his parents.

Rudy couldn't help but be a little stunned by this. It seemed to be happening a little too quickly, making him feel even more on edge. He tried to keep up a smiling face as Mr. Cosmo took him to where his parents were. He didn't want the man to think that he was feeling suspicious or anything. It was best to act as though nothing was wrong.

Rudy and Mr. Cosmo immediately noticed Ms. Saffron coming in their direction, Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie behind her. Rudy realized that Ms. Saffron must have taken them somewhere to talk. Perhaps about his test? That seemed likely, considering how his parents looked happy and excited, even more so when they saw him and he could see their eyes twinkle. Within seconds, he could feel himself being enveloped by them, their arms squeezing him gently yet firmly.

But whatever they were saying, he could hardly hear anything. Just jumbled words and muffled statements. His focus was not on them. He turned his eyes and strained to watch Mr. Cosmo and Ms. Saffron. He watched and listened in silence as the two thanked his parents for bringing him here and congratulated them on his performance. Mr. Cosmo even said how well he did, lying and stating that he finished all the questions in half the time. This really pleased his parents and he could feel their excitement rising up.

He didn't understand why Mr. Cosmo would lie to them like that, though, unless he thought they would have been confused otherwise. _Perhaps..._ It would make sense.

The man went on to explain that he wanted to see Rudy again soon and he said that he would call later when he figured out a good time. His parents excitedly agreed to this and even told him what times worked best for them. They were eager and obviously wanted at ime as soon as possible. Ms. Saffron managed to calm them down and promised them that a time would be available as soon as possible.

But Rudy, despite all of his efforts, wasn't able to fully relax or clear his mind. He wasn't able to fully push away the thought of something going on here. He couldn't shake off the uneasiness that he was feeling. He bit his lip firmly as he felt his stomach stinging in his chest. He had one thought moving through his head.

He hoped that he was wrong.


	11. Revelations

"Things are going quite fine. _Better_ than what I would have hoped for." Mr. Cosmo said with a grin. He could feel Ms. Saffron's eyes on him. He could feel her confusion. All he did in response to that was to keep smiling. "Those boy's parents are easier to play than a fiddle."

Ms. Saffron remained quiet, hanging back away behind the man. She made a few sounds as though she were struggling to speak. Of course she would. She still didn't fully understand just what it is that he wanted to do. She would come to understand eventually. She just needed a little bit of time. Perhaps he should explain more of his plan to her so that she had a better grasp.

He turned his head and looked at her. He watched as she fumbled with her hands, her body shaking just slighlty. She opened her mouth to speak, only to stop herself. It was some sight to witness. He couldn't help but soften his expression just a little bit. He hadn't intended on making her feel stressed out.

Mr. Cosmo moved in closer towards her, taking his time. Ms. Saffron, though taller than him, still seemed to shrink a little as he got closer. Was she fearful of him hurting her? No, that couldn't be it. Maybe she was just afraid of accidentally offending him. After all, he didn't exactly react the best way earlier. He licked his lips slowly. Perhaps he should have tried to handle that in a better manner.

Slowly, he reached out to touch Ms. Saffron on the shoulder. "At ease now, woman. No need to be so nervous." He tilted his head upwards a little. "You should be proud. You did your job like you were supposed to. Keep this up, and everything will fall into place."

Ms. Saffron shuffled uncomfortabley. "S-Sir, are you sure that we should be doing this?"

"Oh come now, you signed up for this, _remember?_ I know you want to make the world a better place. And with me, you will." Mr. Cosmo said with a smile. He moved himself closer, causing Ms. Saffron to move back slightly. Mr. Cosmo let his hand move along her cheek, caressing it with the back of his hand. "I know you are as smart as you are beautiful."

Ms. Saffron stammered at this. "S-Sir, I..." She couldn't bring herself to continue, for something had gotten in the way of her speech.

Mr. Cosmo's lips.

The man kept his lips pressed up against Ms. Saffron's for a few seconds before parting. The sudden, out-of-nowhere kiss caused Ms. Saffron to freeze, her eyes going wide as she stared at her boss in shock. He just smiled back at her before turning around and taking a few steps away as though nothing had happened.

Mr Cosmo's face turned serious as a thought crossed his mind. As it remained in his head, it started to burn a little and he had to struggle to fight it off. He looked back at Ms. Saffron, his flirtatious face gone, his eyes narrowed into slits. The woman immediately stiffened up at this. Using Ms. Saffron's silence to his advantage, he started to speak up.

"Remember, there's _a lot_ at stake here. I told you what could happen if we don't do something about this." Mr. Cosmo's voice came in a warning tone. "I cannot stress enough how much trouble we will be in if something isn't done soon." He gave pause for a moment before he leaned in a little towards Ms. Saffron. "Do you _understand_ me?"

The blonde woman swallowed hard for a moment, licking her lips, before nodding her head. She didn't attempt to speak, obviously still shaken up by the sudden kiss earlier.

Mr. Cosmo turned his attention to the chalkboard that he stood close to. A simple object with a simple design and simple coloration. To many, it was just a means of expressing ideas and to try to teach people stuff. But for him, it meant something _so much more_ than that. The sight of this chalkboard alone was enough to elicitate thoughts of awe and wonder...but also fear. And it was this fear that was helping to guide him through this. He did not want to make a mistake.

He made himself a promise. And he intended on keeping that promise. He was going to make sure that his plan would succeed. He cannot fail this. _Not while there was a chance that..._ He forced himself to stop. He needed to focus his time on pushing his plan forward.

sss

"It was pretty weird, Penny. I'm not sure what to think..." Rudy admitted, his voice low and soft.

When Penny came over to her friend's place to ask him about how things went, she did carry a sense of caution with her. A part of her had a feeling that she wasn't going to like what she was about to hear. And it turned out that she was right, although it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Honestly, this was better than what she had experienced in ChalkZone.

She had tried to find Snap to no avail, and the closest lead that she got nearly got her ripped up by a wild zoner. She gritted her teeth at the memory. She wasn't even sure what all had led up to it. She was just glad that she got out of that situation.

Penny, not wanting to be silent for much longer, reached her hand out towards Rudy, placing it on his arm. She rubbed it up and down slowly as she whispered to him, "It's done and over with at least. You don't have to see that man ag..." She stopped when Rudy looked at her. "Rudy..?"

The boy said, "Mr. Cosmo wants me to come back soon." He sighed as he lowered his head. "My parents are going to decide the time. I have _no_ say."

Penny stared at Rudy for a few long moments, trying to figure out if she had heard that right. When it became obvious that it was, she let out a small sigh, accompanied by a low growl. "Shouldn't they have spoken to you about that? I mean.." She motioned her hand to Rudy. "I know we're still young, but at age fifteen, shouldn't we _both_ have some level of consent for this? Couldn't your folks have asked you what worked for you?"

Rudy shook his head. "They didn't think it was necessary." He lowered his head. He started to chuckle softly, an act that Penny didn't expect him to do after expressing his worry earlier. "Well it might not be too bad, anyway. It's just a meeting. Mr. Cosmo's probably just going to tell my folks the same old stuff and get me to take another test and..." His voice trailed off and he sighed. "I don't really know what to do."

Penny watched her friend in silence, struggling to think of a response herself. She didn't know what she could tell Rudy and she didn't know what might help him feel better. She was just as confused as he was and she didn't have a clue on how best to approach this.

Except, of course, to take caution.

But that wasn't what was truly on Rudy's mind. The thing with Mr. Cosmo and Ms. Saffron was actually taking a back seat to something that they both agreed was far more _serious._

She could tell that he was still thinking about Snap and those missing zoners. The look in his eyes gave it away. Rudy could try all that he wanted to, but he wasn't going to be able to hide this fact from her. She knew him long enough to tell these things. As she stared at him intently, as Rudy continued to keep his head away from her, she reached out slowly and she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Rudy shuddered before looking back at her.

"Rudy, it's going to be okay." Penny did flinch a little when she noticed how she sounded. She didn't sound exactly the most confident _and..._ She tried to ignore that as she focused on attempting to reassure her friend. "We'll go into ChalkZone and we will try to find Snap. I promise you, we will find him."

Rudy, however, didn't look entirely convinced. He just gave a small snort and grunt, raising his lip up slightly. "You keep saying that, but I'm not sure if I believe you."

Penny flinched at this.

Rudy continued, "Neither of us know where they could be and..." His eyes suddenly widened as his voice trailed off. " _Wait a minute..._ "

Penny tilted her head to one side in confusion. "What is it?"

Rudy raised his finger up, waggling it a little as he struggled to speak. He looked away for a couple of seconds, his tongue tripping over his lips and teeth. He only spoke gibberish for a while, intermixed with a few little words here or there. Then finally, he looked at Penny and said, " _I-I do remember something!_ I forgot to tell you... Rapsheeba said she saw the shadow of the creature heading back towards where Mr. Cosmo's place is and..." He froze at this.

It didn't take a genius to know exactly what was being implied here. Penny spoke carefully in a hushed tone. "Do you think that it's possible that...?" She couldn't bring herself to finish.

"I-I don't know. I mean, I could see the connection, but it might also be a coincidence..."

Penny nodded her head slowly. That was true. It might just be a coincidence. Or it might be something more. There was only one way to tell. And she knew that Rudy knew this as well. She remained quiet and let him continue.

"It's at least a place to start looking. It's better than nothing, right?"

"That is true." Penny agreed. She looked over at the chalkboard for a few moments before looking back at her friend. She narrowed her eyes slowly into slits. Not with anger towards Rudy, but towards the one who had caused this mess in the first place: _Draow._ "Perhaps we should head in now."

Rudy stared at her for a few moments before nodding his head affirmatively. "Yeah, I agree." He bit his lip for a moment, sucking on it. "I just hope that no more harm has been done to ChalkZone since I was there last."

Penny looked at him reassuringly. "Even so, I don't think the zoners will blame you."

"I hope you are right." Rudy said before got out his magic chalk and went over to draw the portal.

Penny watched him sadly, wishing that she could say more to reassure him. She wanted to believe that the zoners wouldn't blame him for what was happening. They usually didn't. But there was always that chance that _something_ could happen. Nothing like this has ever happened before. The zoners might shift _more dramatically_ this time around. They just had to hope that, if that did happen, the zoners won't get in the way of figuring out the truth of what was happening.

With the portal drawn, the two teenagers headed inside. After erasing the portal, they two looked at each other and then back at ChalkZone, looking around. They felt a little weird at first as they looked around and saw no sign of Snap. They were half expecting him to come up and greet them. When that didn't happen, they both felt a sting in their stomachs. They fought it off the best that they could as they headed in deeper.

Glancing around, neither of them could really see anything wrong at first. At least, nothing that caught their eye. Rudy's house relative to ChalkZone was a bit further out from the city and from where most zoners lived. So that didn't surprise them too much. In order to get a better idea of just what was going on, they headed towards the city.

As it came into view, the place was _eerily_ silent. Penny had to fight off a cold shudder and she could see Rudy doing the same. Neither of them were used to a quiet city in a world like this. Even the chitter chatter of the numerous stick figure zoners was not heard anywhere here. This made them grow increasingly nervous as they began to step foot into the city.

It continued to be quiet even as they got closer to what should be the main square of the city, where most of the action takes place. But even this area was empty and devoid of life. Both teens are aware that this was because they told them to stay in their homes, but it didn't change the fact that this was creepy as shit.

Penny could feel a cold rush going through her body as she felt as though she were being watched. She looked around for a quick second, seeing the buildings all around her. She could see no one, but she was certain that some of the zoners were watching her and Rudy carefully. Some of them may even be glaring at them, wondering why they hadn't caught the flying monster yet. Penny tried her best to shake off the feeling as she and Rudy continued to look around.

The buildings didn't seem to be damaged. Draow either didn't come back to harrass them more or he hadn't thought thought of actually attacking the buildings directly. Maybe he just didn't want to bother? Well at least that still left the buildings a safe place to be. _For now..._

Suddenly they could hear someone shouting at them.

"Rudy? Penny? Is that you?"

The two teens turned their heads, but they didn't need to look to see who this was. There was no way that they would mistake that accept for anyone else.

It was Spy Fly.

"Hey there." Rudy said quietly as he waved his hand upwards. "It's good to see you."

Penny nodded her head. "I'm so glad that you weren't taken by that thing."

"What thing? _Oh..._ You mean the big furry creature?" At the teens' nod, Spy Fly said, "I'm a bit too fast for someone like him. But I am said that he still managed to take our own. I try to warn them, but even that isn't enough." She shrugged her shoulders a little, looking rather down. "I just hope that they are okay."

"Yeah, me too..." Rudy murmured softly.

Penny took a step forward. A thought came across her mind. "Spy Fly, is it all right if I ask you a couple of questions?"

"Oh sure!" Spy Fly spoke, gesturing with her hand.

Penny felt a little cautious of the first question, but still asked it anyway. "Has anyone else been taken since the last time me and Rudy were here?"

Spy Fly tapped her finger against the side of her face thoughtfully. Then she said, "I did hear Bathtub Granny has gone missing." Her face expressed the utmost sympathy to the two teenagers.

Rudy sucked in a sharp breath at this. "Another one..."

Penny looked at her friend sadly before turning her attention back to Spy Fly. "And my second question..." Spy Fly listened intently to what she was about to say. Penny drew in a deep breath and said, "Have you gotten any footage of what happened?"

Spy Fly stared at Penny for a moment before her tiny head nodded once. "I believe I do..." She rubbed the back of her head. "Though everything recently has a been a blur." She motioned to the two teens and said, "How about I go and look for it, if it exists?" She suggested. "If I find anything, I'll let you know."

Penny nodded her head slowly, as did Rudy. They both silently agreed with this. If Spy Fly has any sort of footage that could help them, it was going to make things a lot easier. Or at least, they hoped that it would. In any case, it was still their best shot at finding their captured friends.

They said nothing as Spy Fly left, venturing out back to her home in order to find the footage that she might have. As she disappeared, Penny looked over at Rudy, whose head was down and his eyes looking desperate. Penny reached out and touched his shoulder to comfort him. Rudy didn't attempt to speak or react to her touch. Penny wasn't sure how to react to this.

With nothing else that they could think of to do and with them not wanting to pester the frightened zoners in hiding, both Penny and Rudy decided it was best to just leave the city and explore the areas outside of it. Maybe they could find some clues out here while they awaited for Spy Fly's report. It was better than nothing.

But when they headed on out, they were suddenly greeted by someone.

"Rudy Tabootie! Penny Sanchez!" Biclops called out, raising his hand upwards.

Penny asked, "Shouldn't you be watching the mines?"

"I have that covered." Biclops explained. "I've been patrolling around for Draow and I saw you two. I wanted to give you my report."

A report? Did this mean that Biclops had found something? Penny could feel her heart fluttering a little at this possibility. _If Biclops had found something that could lead them to Snap and the others..._

"That's great, Biclops!" Rudy said excitedly. "The only thing I've heard is that Draow went in the direction where Mr. Cosmo was having me take this test and..."

Biclops's face suddenly went white, his body stiffening up. The look in his eyes, it was difficult for Rudy and Penny to look away. It was clear that something about what Rudy said triggered something in the giant. But what could that be? Neither teen could think of it, _unless..._ Could it have _something_ to do with...

Penny whispered softly, "B-Biclops? What's..." She was hesitant and careful, not wanting to accidentally upset the giant further. She was struggling against her own racing heart.

"D-Did you say _M-M-Mr. Cosmo...?_ " Biclops asked slowlyand carefully. His eyes seemed to glow a little in some kind of emotion. Though its exact identity was unclear.

Rudy nodded. He bit his lip, hesitating to say anything. Eventually, he forced himself to ask the question that both he and Penny were thinking of. "Do you know him?"

Biclops stared at the two children for several long moments. Then his eyes narrowed slowly and when he replied, his voice sounded as though it had darkened several shades. "Of course I _know him._ He's my _creator..._ "

Rudy and Penny stared at Biclops for a few seconds before the implications of what he said came crashing down upon them. The two teens gasped loudly, covering their mouths with their hands. They looked at each other, blinking quickly. Memories flashed in the back of their head. They were both well aware of what Biclops had told them before. _And if he were right on this..._

Penny never felt so dizzy and sick at the same time so fast before.


	12. Figuring Out What To Do

His head was spinning in circles. He could feel the ground beneath him moving. He could feel himself swaying from side to side. He could feel his hand pushing so hard against his head that he thought it was going to crack under the pressure. He gritted his teeth tightly and he struggled to keep breathing. He could feel his vision fading a little, sweat pouring down his face.

 _Did Biclops just... Could he have... Did this mean that..._

Rudy's mind exploded into a million questions. He couldn't control himself. He wasn't able to stop himself from falling down onto his knees. He leaned forward, using one hand to hold himself up while the other still remained glued to his head. He struggled to comprehend just what had happened here. He had never thought Biclops would have spoken those words. He didn't think that things would have gone down this particular path.

And from the looks of it, neither did Penny. Rudy could see the look of shock and horror and confusion in her eyes. She was obviously struggling with her own thoughts to. She was even trying to speak but to no avail. What could she say, _anyway?_ He couldn't think of anything _himself._

Rudy gritted his teeth tightly as he thought back to what Biclops had told him in the past. It might have been years, but he could never forget how Biclops informed him of the fact that there used to be more creators roaming around in ChalkZone. He was also aware that not all of those creators were exactly the nicest people.

Especially that one child that created Biclops.

He could still remember seeing that footage that Biclops displayed before him. There was no way he could forget that smug snake of a child, a little scottish kid who decided to play a cruel joke and created a giant with poor depth perception. Rudy remembered how his heart stung at how Biclops's first introduction to the world was tripping and falling down onto his face. He was grateful that Biclops didn't get too hurt from that, but still...

And now Biclops was trying to tell him that this kid, that small child that he had seen doing that, happened to be... _Mr. Cosmo...?_ That little bratty child grew up to be the same Mr. Cosmo that had helped out with this city, had gotten to take that test, and then...

 _Oh no..._

Rudy struggled to control his churning stomach, licking his lips rapidly as he swallowed hard. He could taste the bitterness sliding all the way down his throat. He couldn't help but shudder. He lifted his head up as he looked back at Biclops. Knowing that the giant was not the type to lie, Rudy was forced to reach an unsettling conclusion.

Mr. Cosmo had another reason for wanting to bring him in for testing... But just what precisely that was, he couldn't figure out. Heck, he didn't even know if Mr. Cosmo knew about his connection to ChalkZone. _But then why else would he be so focused on him...?_ Suddenly, _everything_ made sense.

"Mr. Cosmo, or as I knew him, Teddisson, is a very dangerous creator. Or rather, he was." Biclops said. "You've already seen what he did to me." He pointed a finger at his original eye, the one that he had even before Rudy drew him a new one.

"Oh yeah, that was _awful._ " Penny replied, rubbing her arm slowly up and down. "I can't believe he did something that cruel to you."

Biclops shook his head slowly. "That wasn't the _worst thing_ that he did."

Rudy and Penny widened their eyes, but they weren't particularly surprised. If someone that young would deliberately create something that would get hurt just trying to walk around, that left room for the same child to do something worse. They wanted to believe that this kid wouldn't go that far, but from Biclops's tone of voice, this child was so far from being innocent.

Biclops narrowed his eyes softly. "What I am about to tell you stays between us... I don't want you spreading this around the other zoners. Just like with Draow, it will cause unnecessary panic. And besides, Mr. Cosmo doesn't have access to ChalkZone..." He paused for a moment before he stared intently at Rudy. "...am I correct...?"

Rudy felt his blood chilling as he realized the implications. He shook his head rapidly. "N-No, he doesn't. He didn't even bring it up."

But this did not soothe the giant. "That makes it _even more suspicious._ " Biclops's voice was deep and serious, leading to the two human teenagers to look at one another with worry. If Biclops was _this_ concerned about this... Biclops continued, interrupting their train of thought. "Anyway, do you promise to keep this hush-hush for now? I know you must be tired of me asking you to keep secrets. But it is imperative. A lot of zoners here remember who this guy was, and they remember his beast. You will awaken the nightmares of many a zoner if you slip up."

Rudy hated the idea of keeping up this lying, even if some of it was just relating to not saying a certain name. He wanted to be honest with the zoners on what he finds out. If a nightmare from the past were back, shouldn't they have every right to know?

But then again, he was aware of how nuts the zoners can get when they are overtaken by an emotion. He had seen what they are like when they were angered or panicked. If Biclops was telling the truth, and Rudy had no reason to not believe him, then the revelation that he was seeing Mr. Cosmo might send the zoners into a frenzy unlike any he's ever seen before. And he knew how detrimental that would be, especially when it came to trying to figure out what to do about this.

"So about Mr. Cosmo..." Rudy asked in a low, soft voice. "...what did he do, exactly?"

Penny motioned her hand up slowly, cautiously. "Was it as bad as you were implying?"

"Oh no." Biclops said. "It was _worse._ "

The two teens shuddered at this response. Biclops was rarely this blunt. That made his response all the more terrifying. They braced themselves for what the giant was about to tell them, grasping each other's hands to try to reassure one another during this whole thing.

Biclops began his tale, pulling his hair to activate his eye videos so that they could watch as well as listen to the story.

"Many years ago, little Teddisson was one of the children that came into ChalkZone. He was like many of the others. Adventurous but mischevious as well. He would draw random things just for the fun of it, which would sometimes be at the unfortunate recieving end for another zoner minding their own business."

Rudy and Penny watched the video of Mr. Cosmo drawing a snake to scare a zoner on purpose. Then another time, he was pouring syrup on the road to make some zoners slip and slide on it, causing some cars to crash. Another scene showed him botching up the paint job of several zoner homes, and then another had Mr. Cosmo throwing toilet paper all over a zoner's garden and trees.

"Teddisson was at first... _just_ that. A little runt that had way too much time on his hands and just wanted to have fun, even if it meant pestering us. I think he liked the control. At home, he could _never_ do any of this. _But here_ , he has the power to create, and he abused that power so he could pull pranks and do stupid shit like I've shown you. As annoying as that is, it was still something that we could handle. We've had many creators like this, and it never amounted to anything that we couldn't handle."

More scenes of Mr. Cosmo were shown. They didn't really stand out from the typical 'jerk causing problems' thing. Outside of using magic chalk, this. Mr. Cosmo liked causing misery for the zoners, that's for sure. But that misery mostly amounted to just pranks and hardly much else. Even his more violent ones were actually less violent in ChalkZone than they would have been in the Real World.

Rudy had a feeling that there had to be more to it than this. For Biclops to go on about how dangerous this guy was, pranks couldn't have been all that Mr. Cosmo did. _So when exactly did he start to..._

Rudy quickly got his answer, and it wasn't what he had expected it to be.

"That all changed one day. None of us saw it coming. Many couldn't even find an explanation for it. Most of us just agreed that on this particular day, Teddisson had _snapped._ "

Biclops showed Rudy and Penny a rather gruesome scene. Using what looked to be black chalk instead of the normal white chalk, Mr. Cosmo had suddenly drawn what looked to be a knife and he rushed over at a random zoner and stabbed them. The zoner was not killed, but instead left there bleeding and crying in pain. Another zoner came to help, but Mr. Cosmo kicked them between the legs and he proceeded to tie a noose around his neck. It didn't take a genius to know what was going to happen next. Rudy and Penny watched in horror as Mr. Cosmo _hung_ this zoner. They could hear the neck snap. The sound vibrated in their stomachs, making them feel nauseous.

"That had _only just_ been the _beginning._ " Biclops explained. "From that day forward, Teddisson was never the same. What were once harmless or annoying pranks became death traps. Zoners were dropping left and right. The streets were rapidly becoming paved with blood."

Rudy struggled not to throw up at the gore-filled sight before him. Mr. Cosmo laying out traps that drove spikes through zoners, or squashed them, or ripped them apart... These just laid everywhere in ChalkZone. He must have set them all up at once, as that would explain why Mr. Cosmo managed to kill that many zoners so fast. After the first kill, the zoners would have been cautious, but in _this_ case...

Rudy heard Penny gasp in horror and he watched her put her hand to her mouth. At this point, they both bore witness to Mr. Cosmo tearing a small zoner's head off. The sight sent chills down their spines. There was no way that this small zoner would have been a threat to him. _For him to go and do something like that... Just how far gone was this kid?_

The scenes never improved from there. Rudy and Penny didn't want to keep watching. They didn't want to keep watching this blood-filled horror. But they could not turn away from it. Something about it was keeping their eyes glued to it. As they kept watching, they started to understand more and more why this kid terrified the zoners and why mentioning his name would have been a bad idea.

"We never thought things would have gotten this bad. We don't know why Teddisson snapped, or why he decided to kill us like that. He was totally fine with us the previous day. Then _this_ happened _and..._ " Biclops had to stop, putting his hand to his chest as he struggled to breathe. He continued, "He went on to cause more trouble, and when we zoners started to fight back, he decided to reel in some 'help'..."

In the scene shown to the two teens, Mr. Cosmo was heading over towards some children. They were easily recognized as the same children Biclops shown to them a while back. The children were looking uncertain and skeptical as Mr. Cosmo appeared to be telling them something.

The scene jumped, but it was crystal clear that whatever Mr. Cosmo told them, it had worked. Each child now possessed their own black chalk and they, too, began to wreak havoc on ChalkZone. Somehow, things had gotten even worse at this point. Rudy and Penny bore witness to more strangulations, more stabbings, more crushings, as well as other unique ways of death only possible in ChalkZone. As more zoners fought back, the more brutal and violent things started to become.

Then they saw it. Mr. Cosmo drawing something big and massive. It rose out of the ground, a body of light brown fur, a massive wing span... _It was Draow._

"The arrival of Draow changed everything for the worse. We zoners did get a leg up on things, but that was dashed when Teddisson created Draow."

Draow's first act upon creation was charge at a group of zoners who were holding makeshift weapons. The beast opened up his mouth wide and jumped down on them. The two humans had to stifle themselves to keep from vomiting as they watched Draow crush the zoners' skulls with ease, as though they were just a piece of candy for him.

More zoners tried to rush at Draow. But the big creature immediately turned around and struck at them with his big sickle claws. The sharp tip tore into them easily, slicing them into two pieces. Guts spilled onto the ground as the zoners dropped down, bleeding to death.

Biclops's body was shaking as he recounted this story. "We found out too late that this kid had designed Draow to be resistant to creators... Because one day, some creators from another part of ChalkZone had come over and seen what was going on and tried to help us. But they, too, struggled. And when it came to _Draow..._ Let's just say some weren't so lucky."

That was an understatement. While the new creators were able to at least hold their own against Draow, a handful of them wound up getting hurt. One had their leg ripped clean off and another was struck in the head so hard that they passed out. It didn't look like he was going to wake up again.

The creators that were able to fight back held their ground the best that they could. They drew whatever they could to stop Draow. It was like deja vu. Rudy and Penny couldn't help but notice the eerie similarities between what happened to them and what was going on here. These kids were trying so hard to catch the beast, but he keeps evading them, spinning around and diving in different directions, almost like some sort of deranged acrobat. More creators ended up dropping because of this.

Penny still had her hand pressed to her mouth. Rudy could hear her sniffling as she tried not to cry. He could see the tears flowing down her face rapidly. He could see how she was trying so hard not to cry harder, but he knew that she could only hold back for so long. Wanting to give her some reassurance, he moved towards her and put his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. She looked up at him in surprise before leaning against him, crying softly.

Rudy could barely watch the images anymore. He shut his eyes and looked away. He couldn't believe that something awful like that had happened to ChalkZone. He couldn't believe that some kid had decided to be that cruel and twisted. _Knowing just what kind of monster Mr. Cosmo truly was..._

"I'm sorry you had to see that..." Biclops said. At this point, his eyes had returned to normal. It was clear that he has had enough with showing them all that stuff. Rudy and Penny did not argue or debate this. "But at least now you have a better context of what I've been worried about."

Penny whimpered, "I-I just.. How could he have..." She stopped and wiped her tears away, trying to compose herself the best that she could. She gave nother sniffle before she said, "Just what happened to him afterwards? What made him leave?"

Biclops replied, "...someone _did_ manage to stop him."

"So he _isn't_ unbeatable?" Rudy asked carefully. It might have sounded a little silly to anyone listening, to be asking about something like this. But he really needed to know this. He didn't think that he could just let this go. "There's a way to stop him?"

"Yes. He isn't invincible. It just took a long time before someone was able to beat him." Biclops's eyes narrowed into slits. "But that victory hardly means anything when we've lost _so many_ in that battle. I don't think you fully understand what happened there. That kid, that stupid fucking kid, had caused a downright _war_ in ChalkZone."

Rudy and Penny stared at Biclops in horror, unable to respond.

Biclops turned away from them. "Why the fuck did you think I didn't want you anywhere near the magic chalk, Rudy?"

The male teenager lowered his head as his mind flashed with images of what happened that day. All of a sudden, with this new context, Biclops's actions that day had a whole new meaning. He licked his lips slowly and swallowed as he forced himself to look up at Biclops. "I'm so... _so sorry_ about that..."

Biclops let out a small sigh. "Yeah, I know you are. Just..." He paused for a moment before he forced himself to continue. "...be careful, okay? I-I don't want to lose you, too."

Them too..? Did Biclops lose loved ones in this? That made it even worse.

But Rudy didn't want to stress out the giant zoner any further. Despite wanting more information, he felt they all had enough... 'excitement' for one day. They could always come back later when they recovered mentally. So he raised his hand up and said, "Thanks for the information, Biclops. We really appreciate it."

Biclops smiled shakingly. "You're welcome, Rudy Tabootie."

With that said, Rudy and Penny turned around and walked away, heading back. There was much to be discussed.

sss

Little did the two teenagers know, there was another pair of eyes that had been watching them. Sectioned eyes that seemed almost _unnatural_ blinked a few times. Each blink was presented with a clicking sound, almost like a camera was built into the head.

Settled down behind the nearby rocks, someone peered over the edge, staring intently at the retreating teenagers. Their breath was slow and heavy, their mind spinning about as they tried to think of what they were going to do now. Their fingers tapped the rocks gently, quietly, as their teeth gritted slightly. They did not fear getting caught. Their body was rather small and nearly indetectable. There was a _reason_ that they were called...

Their thoughts trailed off as they looked down at the small watch attached to their rigid arm. It was really tiny and only they could make out the time. And from what they were seeing, they needed to take action and fast.

They looked back at the retreating humans and frowned deeper. Perhaps they should have tried something more convincing before. They had their chance and they blew it. Now these same teenagers were going to dig in more deeply than they should have been allowed. If something wasn't done soon, they could say goodbye to their head. They gripped their head lightly for a moment, shuddering, before trying to think of a possible solution.

In the end, though, there was only one thing that could be done. They needed to report this as soon as possible. It was only through this that they had a potential chance of continuing to survive. They had done a good job before. Surely they could be forgiven for something like this, right?

But it was hard to tell with their boss. While that guy might seem calm and relaxed, there was also something hidden underneath the surface that was _frightening._ There was something about him that was just screaming 'stay away from me'. They themselves, despite being small and agile, were at risk and even they had to be very careful of what they did. It would only take _one_ screw up, one smack, before they were squashed.

Despite all that, it was not difficult to come up with a decision. They knew what the right path was and no amount of fear was going to sway them from that. They just had to hope that those teenagers did not get wise to what they were doing.

Without saying another word, the small figure took off, the sound of an insect's wings beating as they went.

sss

"Those visions, they were _horrible..._ "

"I can't believe something like that really happened here. I knew that some children were troublemakers, but I never thought it got that bad."

"Me, neither. But now that we know, what are we going to do about it?"

Indeed, _what_ were they going to do about it? That was the million dollar question right now. The two teenagers were well aware of the situation now. They were both aware of what Mr. Cosmo has done and they both knew that he has been in ChalkZone before. This created an unsettling atmosphere as they both thought of recent events and they struggled to figure out just what this all was implying.

Penny was still aware that it could just be coincidence. Just because Mr. Cosmo was in ChalkZone before didn't mean that he still knew about it or had any plans for it. This might be all for naught and they were getting upset and paranoid for no reason.

But she could not brush aside the fact that it still seemed rather strange that Mr. Cosmo would choose Rudy out of all people for these tests that were supposedly 'helping humanity'. Not to bash on her friend, but wouldn't those tests require someone with a higher education score? Wouldn't that guarantee better success? Even with that pushed aside, out of all the directions that Draow could have gone, why did he go back in the direction where Mr. Cosmo's place was? That seemed a little too close for comfort.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, things were starting to be pushed in the direction of Mr. Cosmo knowing something. This could all be a set up and they were being played like puppets in a theater. Anything that they did might be something that man wanted. Or she might be wrong and this was all just an exaggeration. But regardless, she and Rudy could both agree that they now needed to be on their toes.

"I-I hope that this man isn't planning to..." Rudy's shaky voice said. He was struggling to breathe, fear rising up inside of him. "I-I don't want to imagine what he could do as an _adult._ "

Penny tried not to shudder at that thought. "True. _If he could cause all that damage as a child..._ " She stopped herself once she see how nervous Rudy was getting. She licked her lips and swallowed hard. She tried to think of how to continue, what else that she could say. "Well, anyway... We.. We should..." Her voice trailed off.

Rudy looked over at her. "What should we do? Do you think we should...I don't know...try to see if Mr. Cosmo _really does_ have a way into ChalkZone, or at least knows about it?"

"That might work. If we had any guarantee that he knows, then we can appropriately react. But Rudy... How would we even pull this off?" Asked Penny.

Rudy rubbed his chin a little. "That would be tricky. I mean, we can't just walk up to him and say 'Do you know about ChalkZone'? If he knows, he will be onto us and..." He cringed slightly as he looked around, his eyes eyeing the chalk trees to their side, the entrance of the Mumbo Jumbo Jungle. " _Everyone_ here will be in _big trouble._ "

"That's an undersatement." Penny said, agreeing with Rudy. "So we will need a way to figure this out without tipping him off. And to do that, we'll have to be subtle."

"In other words, nothing like Terry Bouffant." Rudy said in a joking tone.

Penny couldn't help but chuckle, despite the seriousness of the situation. It was nice that Rudy was able to find some humor despite what was going on. It wasn't really much of a distraction, but it did provide for them some chuckles to help ease their tense bodies and minds.

But it did also make them think something that they never thought they would.

They almost wished that they were just dealing with Terry Bouffant.

It wasn't that they wanted Terry to try to expose ChalkZone again. But at least she wasn't a mass murderer like Mr. Cosmo was. Her goal never involved actual harm to the zoners, at least not directly. And she lacked experience, which would mean she'd be easier to handle than Mr. Cosmo.

But in the end, they...

" _Rudy!_ " A voice suddenly called out. " _Oh Rudy, there you are!_ "

Rudy and Penny turned around to see a small zoner rushing over to them. The zoner in question was easily recognizable as Buttered Toast Man. The bread-like zoner was sweating, the droplets colored yellow as though made of solid butter themselves. It was clear that he had been running for a while, and he had to stop in front of the two teens, put his hands on his knees, and pant a little to catch his breath.

Once he was able to breathe normally again, he raised himself up and looked at the two teenagers with mixed emotions. "Something terrible has happened!"

Rudy asked nervously, "What is it? _What has happened, Buttered Toast Man?!_ "

The zoner fumbled with his fingers a little, looking a little hesitant at first. But then he raised his hands upward and cried out, " _Rapsheeba's been taken!_ "

This sent ice through the teens' blood as they turned and looked at one another, their eyes meeting and becoming rigid in place. They were both thinking the same thoughts. They were both realizing the same things at the same time. They held their breath as they struggled to cope with what they had just heard. They looked back, finding it difficult to fully control themselves.

 _Rapsheeba's gone too...?_ Penny tried to control her emotions, but it was hard not to feel the bile rising up in her stomach. That made the count up to... She couldn't remember. But a good number of zoners were now missing. Taken by that huge beast, taken to who-knows-where. Who knows how many more will be taken before they manage to figure out precisely what is going on?

"Please, you have to do something!" Buttered Toast Man cried out. "You have to help her!"

It was heartwrenching to see this zoner act this way. It was just as uncomfortable to see Rudy so conflicted in what to say. Penny watched in silence as she struggled before looking to give Buttered Toast Man a look of great sympathy.

Rudy finally spoke up, his voice struggling to remain coherent. "I-I-I don't know what to." He held his hands out, showing how desperate that he really was. "I'm not sure where to begin looking. I-I think I have an idea, but I'm not sure and I..."

"Can't you draw a homing bacon like you did before?" The bread zoner suggested.

Rudy bit his lip. "That worked before because I knew where Biclops was. But for Rapsheeba..." He put his hand against his forehead as he struggled to think. "I _need some way_ of tracking her and I don't have anything that I could..."

Buttered Toast Man pulled something out of his pocket. "Would this work?"

Penny's eyes widened when she saw what looked to be a torn piece of one of Rapsheeba's outfits. "How did you get that?"

Buttered Toast Man shook his head. "That doesn't matter right now." He stared intently at Rudy as he handed the male teen the cloth. "Do you think this will be good enough?"

Rudy scratched his chin thoughtfully. Then his eyes seemed to spark, coming to life for the first time in days. "This just might work." He held the cloth between two pinching fingers away from himself, studying it up and down. "Perhaps I could draw a tracking machine that goes by smell and... _That's it!_ "

Penny and Buttered Toast Man took a few steps back as Rudy immediately went to work. They both watched in silent awe and amazement as the boy worked quickly to create something metallic, long, and slender. It was more detailed than most of his other creations.

While Rudy did have a rule against creating too many sentient beings, that did not apply when the creation is just a machine programmed to do certain things.

That was why Penny was not at all shocked to see that Rudy drew what was essentially a robotic greyhound. She opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it immediately. She couldn't believe the look of this thing. The silver body shined in the light, making it appear to glow rather brightly. The body was so sleek and slender and it looked like it could easily reach a hundred miles per hour with those powered thin legs. The head, long and pointed like a dog's, looked over and stared at them. The pupils were robotic, a bright blue eyes lined with a foreign-like iris, a feature that was difficult to describe. The eyes themselves glowed brightly as the thing pulled its head back and let out a loud, electronic howl.

Rudy didn't hesitate to raise the cloth up to his creation. "Smell this, and track her down." He told the robotic dog.

The metallic beast lowered its head and gave the cloth a few sniffs. Penny couldn't help but note how artificial the entire process seemed. But it still appeared to work as the beast snorted and started to take off. It moved so fast that it rapidly moved out of sight.

Buttered Toast Man put his hands on his head as he cried out, "What are you doing? _It's getting away!_ "

Rudy's magic chalk was once again held up. "Don't worry. I built in a tracking system in Grey." He quickly began drawing something else. "We just need a mode of fast transportation to keep up. And I know just the thing."

The idea of using a rocket-powered sled machine was not what Penny thought Rudy was going to draw. But oh well, it would work just fine. Rudy was already in the front, getting ready to power it on. But before Penny got in, there was something that she needed to do first.

"You need to stay here." She said to Buttered Toast Man. "It'll be safer here."

Buttered Toast Man shook his head. "No, I need to go with you! I'm tired of all of these disappearances! I need to come with so that I have a chance to stop this myself! I need to..."

Penny raised her hand up. "I know you want to do something, but if you come with us, you'll be at risk of being captured, too. You _can't_ help anyone if you are behind some bars or something, now _can_ you?"

Buttered Toast Man looked at her for a few moments before lowering his head. "I-I suppose not..."

Penny looked at him sympathetically, reaching out with one hand and placing it on his shoulder, or whatever it's called on him. The two of them looked into each other's eyes for a few moments before Penny leaned in a little and said softly, "You're better off back with the others. Do what you can to keep them safe, okay? Rudy and I will report to you as soon as we know anything about Rapsheeba's whereabouts."

Though the bread-like zoner didn't want to, he eventually submitted to Penny's idea. "All right..."

Penny gave him a reassuring smile before she turned and went to Rudy, who was waiting for her. Penny felt guilty about delaying this, but she needed to make sure that the toast zoner didn't attempt to do anything that would have gotten him into trouble. The last thing they needed was for _another_ zoner to go missing.

With no more interruptions, she and Rudy started up the sled and they began to slide along the ground swiftly. They held on tightly as the area around them became a colored blur and the wind pushed up against their faces, distorting them a little. It didn't take long until they could see the metal greyhound up ahead, still on the trail for Rapsheeba. Rudy and Penny followed close behind, doing their best to stay within the sights of the robotic dog.

sss

Rudy couldn't stop staring at what was being displayed before him and Penny. He wanted to think that this was some kind of joke, that something else must be going on. He wanted to believe that this isn't what it seemed and he could feel his head shaking slowly in denial, not wanting to believe it. He didn't want to think that this could be possible, and yet no matter what he did or how much he tried, he could not deny what he and Penny had stumbled upon.

There was no way that they could dismiss this as anything but more evidence leading towards Mr. Cosmo knowing more than he had let on before. Rudy still wanted to believe that it was just a coincidence, but it was starting to look less and less likely. With what he was seeing here, just how _long_ could he keep that up?

Rudy and Penny were both standing in the spot where Grey had taken them. The robotic dog had followed Rapsheeba's recent smell all the way here. Rudy could feel his blood chilling as he recognized this spot.

It was the _same_ place that Rapsheeba said was where she had seen the beast zoner take off to.

There was no portal here. Rudy had erased it earlier. But he still knew where the spot was. He could feel it even when he moved his hands around it. He let his hands fall down to his sides as he looked over at Penny. The two of them exchanged worried looks, neither of them sure of just how to handle this. They both knew that they couldn't just dismiss this. But yet at th same time, how would they go about it?

"It is hard to believe... But all signs are pointing in _this_ direction." Penny whispered softly. She walked around the area slowly, her eyes examining the place up and down. "I don't see too much disturbance here. But if Draow had carried Rapsheeba, then that kind of makes sense. Though I'm surprised that the grass doesn't look disturbed from him flapping his wings." Penny rubbed the back of her head.

Rudy looked at where the portal was before, his eyes narrowing slowly. "It looks like we don't have much of a choice, then." He looked over his shoulder to stare at Penny with one eye. "We need to interrogate Mr. Cosmo and find out once and for all if he has any involvement with what is going on."

Penny silently nodded her head in agreement.

There was still no guarantee that Mr. Cosmo had anything to do with this. But it did seem all to fall into place that way. Draow and Mr. Cosmo knew each other and had worked together before. Mr. Cosmo was, at least in the past, aware of ChalkZone's existence. He had been involved with some really horrible things being done to ChalkZone. And Drawo has been spotted, more than once, coming to this exact location, carrying some of the zoners that he's managed to capture. All signs pointed in this direction.

But they still needed proof. They still needed to take the necessary steps to figure out if this was true or not. They couldn't just rush in, acting like he was for certain guilty. _What if he wasn't?_ What if they wind up _wasting all_ of that time? Just _how_ were they going to explain themselves? It was going to be rather difficult trying to think of what to tell their folks if they get caught up in all of this.

Rudy forced himself to exhale slowly, trying to get himself to relax a little more. Despite his uncertainties, there was still something that could be done. They didn't even need to plan a way to sneak into Mr. Cosmo's place to learn if he really was involved or not.

 _Rudy already had a ticket in._

"I'm going over to Mr. Cosmo's place again soon, like I've told you." Rudy said. He could practically feel Penny's eyes upon him as he continued to speak. "I will try to find out things from there."

Penny bit her lip. "Be careful, Rudy. You know what might happen if he is involved and he finds out what you are doing."

Rudy swallowed hard. He struggled to keep himself composed, not wanting to frighten Penny or give her more reason to worry. He hid his fear behind a stern expression, trying to be as unflinching as possible. "I know."

Neither of them had any clue on how this next meeting will go. Neither of them could really prepare for what Rudy was about to face. They didn't even know how long it was, nor if there was any way to find out a lot of information. There was _no_ guarantee that things _wouldn't_ go sour.

But it was the best that they had. This was their one chance to get information without having to make plans to sneak into some big building they were both still largely unfamiliar with. Rudy didn't need to lie to anyone or trick people into letting him in. He didn't need to use ChalkZone to get back into the building and use stealth to try to find something. He had an upcoming chance to find out whatever information he could about Mr. Cosmo. He just hoped that he didn't screw it up.


	13. Already Seen It Coming

Going back to Mr. Cosmo's place didn't yield the same feeling as it did before. Granted, the emotions involved were never anything super positive. But before, there wasn't this much tension, this much uncertainty. And before, the revelation of Mr. Cosmo really being a creator that suddenly went insane one day hadn't been revealed yet. _And now that's been brought into the light..._

Despite that, it was still important to try to remain composed. Any small thing might give away to Mr. Cosmo that he was aware of what was going on. Any misstep might sound the alarm and cause Mr. Cosmo to...take whatever actions were involved with this.

Rudy struggled to keep himself as calm as possible. He didn't hint with his parents that he felt something was wrong. He tried to act as excited as them. They were clearly looking forward to this meeting and he didn't want to ruin it for them. He didn't want them to believe that he had just given up so easily. They had never acted this proud of him before and he admitted, a part of him didn't want to let go of that. So he focused instead on trying to deal with Mr. Cosmo silently.

He wasn't sure how he was going to go about it, though. He needed take his time and formulate a plan. He felt bad that he still didn't think of something despite having a bit of time. But he had only been to this place once. He supposed that he needed even more time to figure out where he could go, if there was a chance that he could flee, or something like that. He didn't want to give up that easily.

Perhaps if Mr. Cosmo gave him another test, he could use that time to try to gather information. Maybe he could slip out of the room and explore a little. A risky move, but if Mr. Cosmo gave him the same amount of time as before, then this shouldn't be a problem. He just needed to watch his time and also watch where he was going, or else he was just going to get into trouble and he couldn't afford that. Not while there were so many people relying on him for this.

He silently reminded himself of all the trouble that this man had caused before. To know that he had been that _horrible_ to the zoners... Rudy hoped that he could keep his anger hidden underneath his face. The last thing he wanted to do was lose it and get his parents upset with him and force Mr. Cosmo to raise his hand. This was especially worrying since he had no idea what Mr. Cosmo would do to him or what else he was capable of.

As he and his parents had entered the building, as they moved through back to where they had been before to meet up with Mr. Cosmo, Rudy's heart pounded as his mind raced. Many questions began to form in his head and he couldn't get them to leave. They were the same questions that he had asked himself before and they were the same ones that he was unable to answer.

 _Just why hadn't_ Mr. Cosmo said anything to him about ChalkZone? In private, no less? He had him alone in that room and he could have said something. Yet Mr. Cosmo still went on and on about that test and seemed to be focused on that. A part of Rudy wondered if this meant that he really didn't know anything. But with the way Biclops had reacted, that didn't seem to be the case.

Was Biclops right? Was this more reason to be suspicious? Was Mr. Cosmo hiding the truth and feigning what he knew in order to lure him into a false sense of security? Did Mr. Cosmo have some sort of devious plan that somehow involved _him?_

Rudy still couldn't be sure, but he was determined to find out somehow today. He wasn't going to leave this building until he got the information that he wanted. It was going to be tough, he knew. He might not even be able to succeed. But darnit, he was going to try. He just hoped that this first try was good enough.

His parents suddenly stopped moving. Rudy nearly collided with them. He looked up at them in confusion and wondered just what the heck was going on. He didn't expect them to just stop like that. But then he saw that they were looking at something and he shifted his gaze.

Rudy noticed that they were at the same window as before. The one where they first met Mr. Cosmo in this building. But much to his confusion, as well as his parents' confusion, there was no one there. The room behind the window was actually dark, the lights having been turned off. This caused them to look at one another, blinking slowly, trying to grasp the situation.

"Didn't he say he wanted to meet with us _today?_ " Rudy heard his mom say. Her voice was softa nd filled with uncertainty. "I could have sworn..."

"I'm pretty sure it was today, too. Maybe he just forgot?" His dad narrowed his eyes. "But that doesn't seem like him."

Rudy moved in closer to the window. He leaned in a little and looked around. There was indeed no sign of that man in here. Unless Mr. Cosmo was a master of hiding and figured out exactly how to go undetected for whatever reason, the man was obviously not around here.

Rudy rubbed the back of his head, wondering why Mr. Cosmo wasn't here. Had he forgotten about the meeting? Did they simply remember the dates wrong? He gritted his teeth as another thought came to his mind. _What if Mr. Cosmo was planning something and they were walking right into this trap? What if..._

"Oh there you are!"

Rudy jolted as he quickly turned around...

...only to see Ms. Saffron standing there.

"I'm surprised to see you here this early." Ms. Saffron said as she moved in a little closer. "Mr. Cosmo wasn't supposed to meet with you until another hour and a half I believe." She explained.

" _Oh..._ I thought it was..." Mr. Tabootie smacked himself in the head. "Oh, that's right! I remember now. _Gee..._ " He looked over at the blonde woman. "We're sorry. Should we leave and come back?"

Ms. Saffron shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. He would be glad to see that you're so eager." She turned her back to them and motioned with her hand. "Come on, I'll take you to the waiting room."

Rudy and his parents, though still confused, followed the woman down the hallway. Back in the waiting room they went, which was thankfully located not far from the sign in window. Ms. Saffron was nice enough to open up the doors for them and let them into the room. Though despite being in here before, somehow the room felt...smaller. Or did Rudy himself just not notice until now?

"I would have taken you to a larger room. We have one available. But right not it's being... _renovated._ " Ms. Saffron rubbed her hands together, almost as though she were nervous about something. "I do hope that these accomodations are fine while you wait for Mr. Cosmo to show up."

Rudy watched his dad take a step towards Ms. Saffron. "When will he be arriving?"

Ms. Saffron shook her head. "Mr. Cosmo is pretty busy right now. He's getting something set up and..." She stopped herself. She seemed to be struggling to figure out just what to say after that. Then finally, she said, "I can't give an _exact_ time frame. But I'm sure he'll be here soon. He did tell me before that it wouldn't be long before he was finished."

Rudy was about to say something, but his mom beat him to the punch, asking just what was on his mind.

"What is he working on, exactly?" Mrs. Tabootie asked.

Ms. Saffron narrowed her eyes slightly. "That's confidential information. It doesn't concern you."

Mrs. Tabootie flinched slightly. "...yeah I know. Sorry, just that..."

Ms. Saffron's expression softened up. "It's quite all right. I understand that you are just excited for this meeting. And rightfully so." She rubbed her hands together, her smile stretching along her face. "Your son will be part of a world changing thing, and that's something that you should be _proud of._ "

Mr. and Mrs. Tabootie smiled at this.

"We are grateful that Mr. Cosmo has looked past any... _issues_ that he thinks might exist..." Mr. Tabootie struggled to speak. Rudy stared at his dad with wide eyes, feeling a small sting in his stomach. Mr. Tabootie noticed this and he turned away from his son, his eyes darting left and right. He stammered, "W-W-Well it's just... g-g-great that he is able to..." He couldn't get himself to continue, likely pulled down by Rudy's emotions.

Ms. Saffron cocked up an eyebrow at first before her eyes flashed, seeminlgy understanding.

Mrs. Tabootie spoke up for her husband. "What my husband here is trying to say is that we are happy that Mr. Cosmo sees our son as someone who has potential. Others..." Mrs. Tabootie froze. Judging by her glare, Rudy had a feeling that he knew whom she was thinking of. "We would like to thank Mr. Cosmo for that."

Smiling, Ms. Saffron said, "And you will get your chance soon." She raised her hand up in gesture. "Would any of you like something to drink? I can bring you some tea of you'd like."

"Sure, that would be lovely. Thank you!" Mrs. Tabootie replied. She turned to her husband and asked, "What about you, dear? Could you go for something to drink?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure about tea..." Mr. Tabootie said softly.

"I have some soda if you'd prefer that." Suggested Ms. Saffron.

"Sure, go with that." Mr. Tabootie nodded his head. "Thank you."

Ms. Saffron smiled at the parents before shifting her gaze to Rudy. "And what would you like, Rudy?"

The teen thought about this long and hard for several moments. But eventually, all he could do was just shrug his shoulders. "I am not really that thirsty right now. Don't worry about me."

Ms. Saffron furrowed her eyes. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Rudy could feel all eyes on him. Despite that, he still managed to hold his ground and nod affirmatively. "Yes, I'm sure. If I change my mind, I will let you know." He went quiet for a few seconds before he finally said, "I'll probably just want a glass of water later on or something."

"Well okay.." Ms. Saffron stared at Rudy for a few long seconds before she shifted her gaze back at the parents. "I will be back shortly. Please make yourselves at home while I get the beverages ready. I promise, it won't be long."

Mr. Tabootie nodded his head. "Thank you for your hospitality. We apologize again for coming in so early."

"It's no trouble at all!" Ms. Saffron waved her hand dismissively. A smile spread along her face. "I would have done the same thing as you if I were in your shoes. Now..." She turned and headed towards the door. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."

Rudy watched as Ms. Saffron left, feeling his eyes slowly narrow. He wasn't sure how long she would be gone, but even if she were gone for a while, this was not how he thought things would have gone. He didn't have a moment alone where he could just explore, and the woman did say to stay here. She was out there in the hallways. If she saw him snooping around, just what was she going to do about that?

Rudy looked over at his parents. They had already decided to sit down in the nearby chairs. They were each holding a magazine and had already started to read. He couldn't help but envy them a little. Unlike him, they could relax enough to try to enjoy their time here. Then again, they didn't have the worries that he had, the ones that had been plaguing his mind. If they had an _inkling_ of what _he_ had felt...

Rudy let out a forced sigh, realizing that there was no way that he could do what he wanted. At least not now. And none of them knew how long Mr. Cosmo was going to take to get here. Rather than crying spilt milk over it, Rudy realized that it was best to just join his parents and wait.

Walking over to a nearby chair, Rudy adjusted himself in it and leaned back. One arm rested on the arm rest, draping off, while the other was pressed against his chin and side of his head, allowing him to rest like this. He didn't bother grabbing a magazine. His aching mind was preoccupied with other thoughts, anyway.

He wondered again just how those zoners were doing. He was worried about all of them. None of the ones taken were aggressive or deserved anything like this. _And yet Draow still took them..._ because Draow was created to be a near unstoppable cruel zoner who got kicks out of hurting people. The thought was enough to cause his mind to burn and he had to struggle to keep the emotion from rattling his body, or lest his parents find out.

The one that he worried about the most was Snap. He could still feel his heart freezing and hurting as he thought of just how much of it was his fault. He was right there. He could have stopped that kidnapping. He could have kept Snap from being taken by that large beast. He had a chance to stop the rampage right then and there.

 _And yet he failed..._ Despite having the magic chalk, despite having Penny with him, he still couldn't stop one zoner. Draow managed to get away with Snap. Not only that, but he's been taking zoners left and right while he's been gone. Somehow, the beast had been clever enough to avoid coming out when he's there, meaning that Rudy could not get another chance to stop Draow. He formed a tight fist with his hand, shaking it out of sight of his parents.

He still hoped that Snap would forgive him. Penny reassured him that there's little reason why Snap wouldn't forgive him. But Rudy couldn't help but feel some level of paranoia about that. Snap might not be so willing to let this be water under the bridge after he so vividly failed to protect him. He struggled and fought the best that he could against his forming, burning tears.

That was why he was not going to give up. Even if Snap was angry at him, he was still going to try to save him no matter what. He wasn't going to allow himself to waddle in sorrow for too long. That wasn't going to help save Snap, now was it?

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he noticed that Ms. Saffron was already returning. He was a little surprised by how fast that was. Or had more time passed than he realized? He looked up at the clock and he tried to figure it out, but he guessed that it couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes, probably even less than that.

Ms. Saffron managed to open up the door despite carrying two heavy-looking glasses. One was filled with a dark-colored sparkling fluid that was instantl revealed to be soda. The other looked more amber and had a small bag in it. Obviously tea. Ms. Saffron got the door open with her leg, holding the drinks in the crook of her arm, and she entered the room.

"You wanted the tea, right?" Ms. Saffron asked as she went towards Mrs. Tabootie first. When the large woman nodded, Ms. Saffron handed her the tea.

"And I wanted the soda." Mr. Tabootie said as he held out his hand.

"Of course. Here." Ms. Saffron reached out with the second drink and handed it to the man. As he stared to sip it, she looked over at Rudy. "You are absolutely sure that you don't want any drink? I don't mind going back out and..."

Rudy raised his hand up and shook it from side to side, his head following suit. "It's okay. I should be fine." He did feel a slight dryness in his mouth. But he pushed that feeling aside the best that he could and said, "I'll get something to drink after the meeting with Mr. Cosmo."

Ms. Saffron nodded her head slowly. "Well all right. It shouldn't be _too long_ , I imagine. It might even be _before_ your parents finish their drinks."

A part of Rudy hoped that would be the case. He hoped that things would go that fast and they could finally get a move on. He wanted to finally be able to try to find some information regarding Mr. Cosmo. While trying to pry something out of Ms. Saffron was an option, he was still more interested in trying to get information from the big cheese himself.

As he listened to his parents drinking, no other sound being available at the moment, he tried to think of how he was going to do this. As each second ticked by slowly, that brought him closer and closer to confronting Mr. Cosmo. If the man was truly behind what was going on, he would need to find proof without tipping him off. This was especially important considering that he happened to be in the man's building, whom he knew better than the fifteen year old boy.

And then there was...

He tried to push the thought aside the best that he could. He wanted to remain positive for this. He already acknowledge before that it was going to be tough and he didn't want to be a broken record to himself. He swallowed hard and tried to relax. It wouldn't hurt to be a little confident, right?

Rudy's ears suddenly filled with the sound of a loud thud. He thought at first that it was just someone upstairs working on something. But when he heard a soft moan to go along with it, as well as the sound of glass breaking, he immediately whirled his head around.

...and he immediately saw his parents on the ground.

" _Mom...! Dad...!_ " Rudy screamed as he jumped up out of his seat and rushed over to them. " _Wh-What's happened?!_ "

His parents didn't respond. They were just laying there in a heap. Their eyes were closed and their heads turned to the side. Their bodies had gone fully limp and they were utterly unresponsive. The glasses were both broken and whatever fluid was in there had spilled off to the side, staining the groun beneath them. Rudy reached out to his parents, stopped for a moment, hesitating, and then placed his hands on their shoulders and shook them gently.

"Please wake up! C-Come on... You have to get up!" Rudy called out to them. When they didn't move still, he pulled his arms inwards towards himself, licking his lips slowly and swallowing hard. He could taste a foul bitterness in his throat. _Could they be...?_

Rudy checked their breathing and their heart rate. They seemed to be fine. At least they were still alive. He let out a small sigh of relief at this, but it wasn't enough to help him fully relax. His mind spun in circles and he felt his head filling up rapidly with heavy thoughts.

" _Rudy Tabootie..._ " A feminine voice said behind him.

Rudy felt his body shuddering, a cold sensation moving through him, as he looked over to see Ms. Saffron staring at him. Gone was the warmth that she had previously and instead they seemed to glint with some sort of intent. Rudy took in a few heavy breaths before burning anger started to rise up inside of him.

" _Y-You..._ What did you do to _them?!_ " Rudy demanded. He adopted a fighting stance, fully prepared to strike at this woman if she dared attempt to do anything.

Ms. Saffron didn't look too fazed. "Your folks are fine. Don't worry about them." She stared to move in closer towards Rudy, her eyes staring intently at him. "Now don't make this any more difficult than it has to be..."

Rudy kept his body tense and he bared his teeth at Ms. Saffron. He felt his body starting to tremble as he took a few steps back. He held up a hand, his fingers arched, showing her that he was ready to attack. That didn't stop the woman from continuing to approach him slowly. Rudy breathed in and out rapidly as he looked left and right, trying to think of what the fuck he was going to do now.

Rudy eventually pushed himself up against the wall. He struggled to move himself back further, wanting to get away from the woman. He looked towards the door, knowing that it was his best chance of escaping. But he stared at his parents, not wanting to leave them behind. He took in a few shaky breaths before returning his glare to Ms. Saffron.

"Don't try to fight this, Rudy. I know you've been wanting to talk to Mr. Cosmo. I came here to help you with that. Just come with me and..."

Rudy shook his head rapidly, baring his teeth. "I'm not going _anywhere_ with _you!_ Just let me and my parents go!"

Ms. Saffron rolled her light hazel eyes and said, "Why are you so worried about them? It's not like they've been hurt. They'll be taken care of and they will be fine. Now then, _little boy..._ " Ms. Saffron reached over and seized Rudy by his arm, squeezing it tightly. "Come with me. You still have a meeting with Mr. Cosmo."

Rudy wasn't about to go down without a fight. He started to struggle and twist his way around, trying to dislodge him from Ms. Saffron's grasp. "Let go of me, you filthy... _Aaahhh!_ "

Rudy's eyes widened in pain when Ms. Saffron suddenly twisted his arm, almost to the point of breaking it. She held him there, pushing him up against the wall, preventing him from escaping. The sharp pain crawled up his arm and started to invade the rest of his body. He had to struggle to keep breathing.

Ms. Saffron put her face close to his and hissed, " _Listen here..._ This isn't a big deal. Mr. Cosmo just wants to speak to you. Nevermind your parents. They just needed some rest. It is you that Mr. Cosmo wants to speak to. And if you are going to continue making this difficult..."

Rudy gasped in pain when Ms. Saffron started to bend his arm a little more.

"I don't want to have to do this, so please don't force it on me." Ms. Saffron told him, her teeth gritted. "Or, I promise you, there _will_ be regret." Rudy's eyes widened at this. "So are you going to go peacefully?"

The teenager wanted to say no so much. But at the same time, he also didn't want the pain. Ms. Saffron had assaulted his right arm, the best arm that he had for drawing. If she damaged it, then that would greatly hinder his ability to stop Draow. And then there were his parents. He didn't know how well off they were going to be if they resisted. Ms. Saffron stated that they weren't hurt and would be fine. But if he kept fighting against her, how long would that last?

Realizing that he had no other options available, Rudy released a low hiss before just going limp, pinned here to the wall. He turned his head away, refusing to look at the woman in the eyes. His mind started to ring with previous thoughts that he had.

It seemed he and Penny had been right to being a little skeptical about the purpose of those tests.

Rudy struggled to keep his feet from slipping as Ms. Saffron dragged him down the hallway. She was moving at a swift pace as though she really needed to get somewhere fast. Rudy tried to ask her to slow down, but she would cut off his speech by squeezing his arm or yanking him hard. Rudy eventually just gave up and he concentrated on just trying to ensure that his feet don't trip out from underneath him, resulting in him face planting against the ground.

He didn't know how long he was being dragged by this, but at some point, he saw a large door in front of him. Almost like a garage door, but shaped a little differently. He could hear something clicking, a red light flashing, and it started to rise up slowly. Rudy flinched as he heard the sound rattling through the air, irritating his ears.

Once it was open, Ms. Saffron pulled on him, forcing him to come with her. Rudy felt tension rising up inside of him as they passed through the opening, soon entering the room.

A really massive room.

Was _this_ what Ms. Saffron had been referring to? _This place?_ The thought caused his gut to wrench. _How could he have not noticed the..._

His thoughts were interrupted as he was pulled forward faster. This time, his feet did slip and he wound up stepping on his bent foot. He let out a cry of pain and started to limp. Ms. Saffron grabbed his arm more firmly at this, providig him with some support so that he didn't fall.

Rudy looked around the room as he headed in deeper. It was huge, like he noted before, but it was also dark with only a handful of lights turned on. It was like a storage area, though he saw no large boxes. He couldn't tell if there were any doors from where he was coming in from, but he could tell that there was a tall platform and a desk placed on top of it. Rudy turned his head up and he could see a set of eyes staring down at him.

 _It was Mr. Cosmo._

Rudy gritted his teeth as his mind began to spin, swirling with thoughts. His body trembled, wracked with emotion. He felt his body starting to light up on fire, spreading throughout, threatening to burn him up completely. It took everything that he had to keep from spouting venom at the man.

"Hello, Rudy Tabootie. So _nice_ of you to join us. I've been expecting you." Mr. Cosmo leaned in against the desk, speaking as though this was some sort of business meeting. He spread his hands outward slowly and continued, "Please come on in. Don't be shy. You can get closer."

Rudy could feel Ms. Saffron pulling him forward, bringing him closer to Mr. Cosmo. Rudy struggled only briefly, but the pain in his arm and especially his foot made it difficult for him to keep resisting.

Once the teen was closer, Mr. Cosmo said, "Why don't you make yourself _comfortable_ , Rudy? I do believe that we have much to discuss."

Rudy kept his teeth bared, but he didn't attempt to say anything, mostly out of fear of Mr. Cosmo might try to do something to his parents if he were out of line too much. So he was forced to remain still and quiet while this man prepared whatever 'test' that he had in mind.

While Mr. Cosmo was quiet, Rudy turned his head to the side and he noticed there was something large set back, a few feet behind the desk, off to the side. Rudy leaned in a little closer, squinting his eyes a little. It looked like some large glass container, the walls looking thick even from where Rudy was standing. _But why would Mr. Cosmo..._

Rudy's eyes widened when he saw that the container was not empty. There was a form inside of it. Something big and teal and purple and...

There, inside the glass chamber, was Skrawl.


	14. Danger Revealing

He couldn't believe that this was happening. He wanted to pinch himself and pray that this was some sort of horrible dream. Repeated attempts to do this only resulted in him being forced to open up his eyes to the reality before him.

Mr. Cosmo sitting at a desk high above him, leaning forward, and staring intently at him.

Ms. Saffron holding him in place so he couldn't try to leave.

And of course, Skrawl, unconscious, laying in a glass tube.

Rudy could feel his head spinning in circles as he tried to comprehend this. He rubbed his head multiple times but nothing he did would make the thoughts go away. He gritted his teeth tightly and he felt his world become swirly and unrecognizable. It was like he had been placed inside of an invisible merry-go-round. His wobbly feet seemed to concur with that train of thought.

Rudy, his body going tense, refused to look away from Mr. Cosmo, his fingers folding together against his palm, shaking. He could feel his thoughts moving through his head a million miles an hour. He couldn't tell which question he wanted to demand the answer to first. There was too much going on at once, too many things that needed to be asked.

But eventually, he did manage to think of one that he couldn't just let go of.

" _Why_ are you doing _this?_ " Rudy hissed softly. He would have moved closer to Mr. Cosmo if Ms. Saffron wasn't still holding onto him. "Why did you bring me _here?_ What was the point of those tests?"

Mr. Cosmo didn't attempt to respond. The man merely stared down at him with a small smile on his face. The fact that he didn't seem to be affected by his anger somehow made Rudy even more furious.

Ms. Saffron tightened her grip on Rudy. Then she looked up at her boss and said, "Sir, aren't you going to tell him?"

Mr. Cosmo blinked as he looked at Ms. Saffron for a moment. Then he seemed to have something click in his mind and he quickly nodded his head. " _Oh_ , that's right! Thank you for reminding me, Ms. Saffron."

Rudy jerked a little from Ms. Saffron, though he was quickly subdued again. He didn't bother glaring at her, however. It was not her that had truly earned his ire already. Far as he knew, Ms. Saffron might just be a pawn in all of this. Mr. Cosmo was good at swaying people to his side, right? This woman holding him was probably just another victim of that.

But he didn't hold that much understanding for Mr. Cosmo. He couldn't find any sort of excuse for the man to suddenly start killing zoners like that. And now this man obviously wants him for _something..._ Rudy gritted his teeth at the mere thought of that, shuddering. He didn't want to imagine what this man had in store for him.

And yet, it was one of the deepest questions that he had at the moment.

Mr. Cosmo broke the silence, moving him away from his thoughts. "I know that this isn't the best way to meet. I'm sure that you aren't exactly very comfortable right now and I do apologize for that." Rudy just glared at him. Mr. Cosmo ignored the glare and continued, "But it was a necessity. I had to be sure that I picked the right...contendent."

Rudy could feel his blood already starting to chill, and Mr. Cosmo hadn't even started to tell him his plans yet. Rudy was already certain before that this man wanted him for something. But it was one thing to believe that and another thing entirely to hear it being confirmed. Rudy could feel his teeth clenching together. He struggled to keep himself looking firm, trying not to give away his fearful state.

Mr. Cosmo slowly smiled. It was almost as though he could detect what Rudy was feeling. "I can assure you, Rudy, that I don't have anything...ill planned for you. It's just..." He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I have had my... _disappointments_ recently. I was hoping that you could break that trend."

Rudy noticed the man taking pauses in his speech and deduced that Mr. Cosmo did not think out this meeting. That did little to calm him, however. After all, this man did find a way to trap him here with him with his parents nowhere to be found. He was also able to realize that, for Mr. Cosmo to do this at all and not act like he was going to get into trouble for it later, he must have found a way to make sure that his parents could not call the police. What if that knock-out stuff that got his mom and dad had something to erase short-term memories?

"I'm sure you are wondering how I decided to pick you out of everyone." The red-haired man tilted his head up, his eyes giving off a small bit of a twinkle. Rudy could have sworn he saw black, but perhaps he was just hallucinating. "It's quite simple, really. If you think about it..." He leaned in once more, his stomach pressing up against the edge of his desk. "Why do you think the tests were focused on art? That hadn't been a coincidence."

Rudy growled lowly, "So it wasn't just to show that even 'lowly artists' could succeed?"

"Now that seems a little harsh, boy." Ms. Saffron said. "He..."

Mr. Cosmo cut her off. "Oh don't think for a moment that I don't believe artists can't succeed. _But...yes_ , I suppose it was a bit of a ruse to cover up the true meaning of the test." The man paused for a moment, as though to allow Rudy a bit of time to let this information sink into his head. Only when Mr. Cosmo seemed certain that Rudy grasped that message did he continue his speech. "The real reason that it was focused on art is that...well... You'd be amazed on what _subtle things_ you pick up when you spend all of your time in ChalkZone..."

Rudy immediately froze in horror at this. He felt his breath stopping and a dizzying sensation sweeping through him. If it weren't for Ms. Saffron, he would have fallen down. Especially given how much he was shaking. He could barely keep his legs straight.

He couldn't stop staring at the man when he said that. He felt his world snapping into pieces upon realizing that even more of what he feared was true. This man really was the same person from all those years ago, the same man who tortured ChalkZone as a child, and he still remembered that world after all of this time. Not only that, but if he was right on all the vibes that he was getting and the implications of what he's just learned, _that means that..._

Mr. Cosmo has been plotting to do something with ChalkZone for _years..._

...and he has been using this test as a ruse to make that happen...

Rudy felt a sudden surge of energy rising up inside of him. He began to once again twist around in Ms. Saffron's hands, trying to free himself from her grasp. Despite his efforts, Ms. Saffron was stronger than him. This fact surprised him, considering that she didn't look stronger. He made one more tug before Ms. Saffron pulled him back sharply and began to twist his arm behind his back again. Rudy hissed in pain before forcing himself to settle down.

Then a thought came to him. He looked over at where Skrawl was. Questions began to form in his head, causing him some achiness. He swerved his head over to Mr. Cosmo and demanded, "How did you get that zoner? You must have _already_ had access to ChalkZone, right?"

Mr. Cosmo just stared at him, blinking a few times.

"Then why didn't you try getting in right then? Why waste all your time looking for the 'perfect candidate' or whatever you think of me?" Rudy resisted the urge to struggle, resisted the urge to take a step forward. "You must have a reason, don't you?"

Mr. Cosmo nodded his head slowly. "Indeed, I do. Now you can tell that I already have a way in there. I've actually had a way for years now." He nodded in the direction where Skrawl was being held before looking back at Rudy, his blue-grey eyes unblinking. "But you know what they say. You can't rush good things." He held his hand up in gesture. "If I had just gone in there without a perfected plan, I would just be setting myself up for failure. I've learned that lesson a long time ago."

"Yeah, so I've heard." Rudy hissed, his voice low and growly.

"Oh? I presume Cyclops told you?" Mr. Cosmo said before quickly correcting himself, "Oh I'm sorry. _Biclops._ "

Rudy just narrowed his eyes further and growled, his teeth bared.

"I take that as a yes. I'm not surprised he's told you about it. Probably a good thing I haven't yet gone into that world again, even though I so desperately want to..." Mr. Cosmo paused for a moment, looking as though he was deep in thought, reminiscing over what had happened before. Probably about all the zoners that he's killed... Mr. Cosmo continued, "I've only recently reunited with my dear... _friend..._ and he's managed to inform me, in his own ways of course..." The man made a deliberate, slow motion off to the side. "...of some details, like Biclops's interesting name change. But he has yet to tell me of you. Not that it's really needed."

With his teeth bared, Rudy growled, "What was that test for?"

Mr. Cosmo stared at him intently and said, "Why, it was to figure out which one of you lot were the most likely candidate to being ChalkZone's current protector."

Rudy's eyes widened at this.

The man said, "You see, I'm aware of how ChalkZone works. There's always at least one person in charge of keeping it safe, though more are ideal. I knew that if I wanted to do anything in that world, I would first need to contend with the protector. In which case, that means _you._ " The man motioned to Rudy.

The teenager immediately felt more chilliness spreading throughout his body. He trembled a little harder and he could feel some goosebumps rising up on his body. He could feel his hair raising up on tend. He licked his lips slowly, his throat rapidly going dry. He couldn't stop his shuddering or his whirling head or the heaviness that was growing in the back of his skull.

Just what was this man going to do with him? If this man knew that he was the biggest obstacle... _Did this mean that he was going to try to eliminate him...?_

A rush of burning adrenaline moved through his already shaky body. He fought against the increasing fight or flight instincts. He tried again to struggle, only to yelp in pain when the blonde woman holding him bent his arm even further, nearly stapping it from the joint. He was forced to hold still, making one of his eyes open up while his teeth were clenched, staring at the man before him.

"I know that this news may frighten you. But I can assure you, Rudy Tabootie, that I am not here to try to take you out." Mr. Cosmo cooed softly, as though he were trying to calm the teen. It wasn't working. "There is more than one way to deal with a potential...problem. And that is..." He moved his hand out towards Rudy. "..make that problem into an asset."

It didn't take more than a second for the implications to sink in, clicking in Rudy's mind. " _Y-You want me to join you?!_ " He wailed, shock tinged on his voice. He jerked forward once, ignoring the pain in his arm, as he shouted, "I would _never_ consider that!"

Mr. Cosmo let out a small sigh. "I had a feeling you'd refuse. I hadn't yet told you everything. You don't really know the full impact of this situation."

Rudy noticed there was a noticeable change in the man's voice, but he was too lost in his burning thoughts to really think much on it. Right now, all that he cared about was the fact that this evil man was trying to use him against ChalkZone in some way. There was no way that he was going to allow that to happen.

Mr. Cosmo raised his hand up in gesture. "I don't think you fully grasp what's going on here, Rudy. I'm not your enemy here. I just want to help you. I can bring you better understanding, and with that understanding, you and everyone else will be safer." Rudy tried not to spit at that statement. "Do you have any idea just how _dangerous_ a world like ChalkZone can be?"

The brown-haired teen's body went rigid at this, and he felt almost like a cat arching its back, ready to fight off some foes. Rudy's eyes felt as though they had gained a dangerous glow. "It is not ChalkZone itself that's dangerous. It is those who abuse it that..."

"...are you saying that you don't _trust_ me? Why, I'm _hurt!_ " Mr. Cosmo put his hand to his chest. But despite that convincing expression, Rudy knew that Mr. Cosmo was just feigning it. "But really now, Rudy... _Even you_ should know how untrue your statement is." He turned his head, focusing intently on Skrawl. "My friend mentioned witnessing you and this ugly thing duking it out. I believe it was even trying to kill you."

Rudy corrected in a growl, "He..."

"Whatever." Mr. Cosmo shrugged his shoulders. "But you get my point, I'm sure. This thing here is proof that this world that you love to protect so much has a rather...dangerous edge to it. I realized that a long time ago. I would have hoped you, by now, would have learned the cold, harsh truth of that world."

Rudy struggled to keep himself under control. "I've been there and I know for a fact that most of the zoners are safe! Most of them have no interest in attacking a human!" He lowered his head slightly. His eyes remained glued to Mr. Cosmo's gaze. "Don't try to paint that world just because of a few bad eggs."

Mr. Cosmo blinked a few times before releasing a chuckle. " _Oh dear sweet child..._ " Rudy cringed when Mr. Cosmo called him that. "...you remind me so much of myself. I, too, once believed the same thing." He cocked his head to one side, bending his neck. "I am grateful that the black chalk has helped me see right past that little bit of trickery."

Black chalk...?

Rudy didn't recall Biclops mentioning this. Was he unaware or did he hide that information. Rudy felt his stomach bile rising up at the thought of being lied to. But considering Biclops seemed to think it as a necessary evil at times, maybe he did it because he felt there was no other choice. Did Biclops think that he'd go looking for it? And if that's the case, just how dangerous was this black chalk?

Rudy shook the thought out of his head for the time being. The black chalk and whatever the heck it did wasn't the main thing that he was concerned about right now. This man was threatening ChalkZone. He needed to figure out how he was going to stop him. But in order to do that, he had to get out of here. _How was he going to..._

Mr. Cosmo cut off his train of thought. "I'm sure even you can be convinced by the black chalk. It opened up my eyes in ways never felt before. And it helped me realize just how... devious those zoners, I think they call themselves, really are. They might act all sweet and innocent, but they can turn on you on a dime. In that world, they can get away with anything. Who is going to find out? Who is going to report the crime?"

Rudy said, "The ChalkZone police will..."

" _Heheheh..._ You really are naive, aren't you, little boy?" Mr. Cosmo said with a smirk on his face. "Do you really think that they will bother doing anything for a dead human child? They only care about themselves." His voice grew slightly dark as he continued, "That is why something must be done soon."

Rudy could feel his body shaking harder as more fear and anger swelled in his stomach and chest. A part of him didn't want to know what this disgusting man wanted to do, but at the same time, he knew that the longer he didn't say anything, the more that this was going to eat him up inside.

And so he asked the dreaded question.

"What do you have planned for ChalkZone?"

Mr. Cosmo motioned back to where Skrawl was. "That thing's just part of the beginning. The early steps towards a better, safer world. The start of a plan to make everything..." He stopped himself for a few moments, collecting his thoughts, and then said, "..well, I don't want to drag this on for too long, so I will tell you the gist of it."

Rudy remained silent as Mr. Cosmo began to explain. It wound up being a longer explaination than he thought. Not that Rudy really cared. He was too focused on what this horrible man wanted to say.

"Those zoners are a nuisance, Rudy. They lie, they cheat, they swindle, and those are just the 'better' ones. Others, like what you've faced, are clearly dangerous and potential murderers. They need to be _tamed_ , Rudy. Someone needs to put them on a leash, put them in cages. Someone needs to find a way to control them. Only then could this world be safe from their invasions."

Rudy couldn't tell if he was hearing right. A part of him found it difficult to really believe what the man was saying. Was he even talking about the _same_ world?

And how dare he speak about the zoners in that way... He ground his teeth against one another. This man was treating the zoners like they were just some kind of wild animal or something. He was basically bringing a call to violence against an entire group of people. And for _what?_ For some misguided hope for some peace? _What a disgusting, horrible man..._

Mr. Cosmo continued.

"I didn't realize the truth until the black chalk took my hand and revealed it to me. The things that I saw... They were awful. I knew that I had to do something. I had to stop those lying bastards before they could carry out their plans. I couldn't allow them a chance to get into the Real World. I didn't know how to handle things more efficiently back then, I admit. I had to resort to killing them. After all, a _dead_ zoner _can't_ try to hurt you, now can they?"

Rudy growled lowly at this, his body still shaking in emotion.

"But now I am older and wiser. I now realize that I may have gone a bit...overboard with killing the zoners. That just caused them to gather up against me. Numbers _and numbers..._ as well as some brainwashed creators who didn't know any better. I was eventually subdued." Mr. Cosmo gritted his teeth, his mind flashing with anger, likely remembering what had happened. "I will not make the same mistake this time. Oh _no..._ I will not kill the zoners this time, unless I have to." His eyes glinted as he stared at Skrawl. "I'll find my own ways to control them. After all, controlling them would have more benefits. Those monsters can be used for... _other purposes._ "

Rudy felt his blood running cold at this. "You're going to..." He stopped for a moment to swallow hard. He took in a few shaky breaths. "...t-t-turn the zoners into slaves?"

"Well, 'slave' is a pretty subjective word, is it not? All I'm really doing is bringing out their potential." Mr. Cosmo said. "They might all be corrupt little creatures, but that doesn't mean that some good can't come out of them. It's just a matter of where you look." Mr. Cosmo said, turning his head again, this time to the other side. He looked at Rudy intently with one blue-grey eye. "Don't be so upset, Rudy. I just want to benefit everyone by turning the zoners into something useful."

"No one would _ever...!_ " Rudy couldn't complete his train of thought. He started to wrestle with Ms. Saffron again.

" _Hold still!_ " Ms. Saffron said. But when Rudy didn't attempt to calm himself down, she pushed him down, forcing him to kneel on the ground. She looped her arm around his throat and pressed firmly. " _Shut up!_ He's not done talking yet!"

Rudy tried to speak, only for Ms. Saffron to hold him more tightly there, nearly cutting off his breathing. Rudy struggled a little more before stopping, forcing himself to glare at Mr. Cosmo.

"I've already told some people about the idea. Well, a lot of people. And they loved it." Mr. Cosmo said.

" _What..?_ Y-You told them about..." Rudy sucked in a sharp breath, his mind freezing at the realization.

"Oh don't worry, I've told them not to do anything drastic. They understand." Mr. Cosmo made a quick motion with his hand. "They aren't going to try to erase anything dangerous. After all, they all want in on the deal."

Rudy struggled to speak, "Who did you tell...?"

"Why, _everyone_ in my company knows about ChalkZone."

Rudy felt like he wanted to throw up.

"Some took a little convincing.." Mr. Cosmo looked at Ms. Saffron for a moment. Rudy turned his head to see that she was looking away in shame. Then he glared at Mr. Cosmo. "But they all agree that this world and its inhabitants have potentiality for the betterment of mankind. Through making them useful, we can eliminate the danger factor and make both worlds safe."

Rudy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Mr. Cosmo was planning to use ChalkZone like it was some sort of commodity? _How dare he..._ Rudy wanted so much to charge at Mr. Cosmo when he said that. Only Ms. Saffron kept him from getting anywhere.

"I don't know why you are upset about this, Rudy. I would have thought that keeping both worlds safe was your ideaology." Mr. Cosmo said, sounding almost bemused.

"Keeping the worlds safe shouldn't involve turning the zoners into your mindless slaves!" Rudy shouted back.

Mr. Cosmo shook his head a few times. "Still so naive... You remind me of myself, you know."

Rudy bared his teeth. "Don't fucking compare _me_ to _you..._ "

Mr. Cosmo ignored that statement. "Once, I believed that things like this weren't necessary to keep both worlds at peace. _Oh how wrong I was..._ " He stared at Rudy intently for a few long moments before he spoke, "And one day, you will see just how right I am. Don't worry. I will help you open your eyes for the reality that is there. Then you will see the necessity of this all. And you will help me build a safer world. One where the wild and untamed zoner will not harm a human, and instead help us build a greater, far better future."

The longer this man spoke, the loonier he was starting to sound. Rudy had a hard time even seeing him as completely human. Whatever the black chalk did to convince him that zoners were evil, it clearly didn't involve any sane measures.

And this man clearly wanted him to meet the black chalk and be 'cleansed' as well... Rudy felt his body chill at the thought. He didn't really know what the black chalk could do. He didn't know if the black chalk had forced anything on this man or if it just 'spoke' to him somehow and made him believe these things. But whatever the case might be, Rudy knew that he didn't want to meet this black chalk.

He tried to think of what he was going to do. Trying to wriggle himself free wasn't going to help. Ms. Saffron had him pinned down and would just hurt him some more if he dare try to escape. Even if she was not holding him, the garage-door like thing behind him was shut. The only other way out was through one of the other doors this room might have, and since he didn't know this place and Mr. Cosmo did, that would not do him any favors.

 _Oh gawd, what was he going to do...?_ He had to try something, anything to get free. He had to find a way to escape this evil man and stop him from doing anything to ChalkZone. He needed to make sure that he never set foot in that world ever again. He had to...

There had been a question that he had been avoiding asking. He had been afraid of the answer, knowing that it may very well send him into a blind rage, and that would not have been good for his current situation. But he had to at least try to ask. He couldn't just stand there and avoid it. He had to know.

With a darkened voice, he asked, "Did you have anything to do with my friend's disappearance?"

Mr. Cosmo cocked his head to one side. " _What_ friend?"

Rudy's eyes darkened. " _Snap..._ "

There was a long pause and Rudy felt increasingly uncomfortable. He struggled to control his breathing as he waited for the man to answer him. It seemed like several hours were passing as the man still refused to answer. The longer this went on, the more shaky Rudy got. He struggled the best that he could against trying to shout again.

But that didn't change the fact that the air around him felt like it was getting chillier and darker. It was like some kind of cold front was developing just in this area and just for him. He could feel more goosebumps froming on his limbs and he could no longer tell which were out of fear and which were out of cold. Not that it mattered right now as he focused on Mr. Cosmo, waiting for an answer.

Eventually, Mr. Cosmo's smile returned. A simple, quick act, but it was enough to be nearly bone-chilling to Rudy. But the man didn't stop there. He got up from his seat and he stepped slowly to one side. He raised up one arm, as though gesturing to something. That was when Rudy noticed something large moving forward, loud tapping sounds being heard easily in this quiet room. A large head seemed to pop into existence just behind the man, and a pair of glowing teal eyes emerged, a long, stretched out snout curling back its lips to expose sharp teeth.

Rudy immediately recognized Draow. He felt himself move back a little, instinctively trying to get away in case the beast tried to bite him. The beast looked at him intently, very clear recognition in those eyes. Rudy stared at the creature for a few moments before he heard Mr. Cosmo speak up.

"I think that may answer your question, _am I right...?_ "

Rudy no longer felt the urge to rush Mr. Cosmo. At the moment, he was more worried about Draow rushing at him and tearing off his arm. With how he was positioned behind him, he guessed that the creature had some level of protectiveness of him. Regardless if it was just business or genuine love, it didn't change the fact that he would be screwed if he tried to attack Mr. Cosmo. So instead, he tried a quieter approach.

"What did you do to Snap..?" Rudy hissed. "Did you throw him in a jar, too, like Skrawl there?"

Mr. Cosmo just chuckled. "Oh don't worry about your little friend, Rudy. We aren't here to discuss him or...whatever this Skrawl might be to you..."

Rudy cut him off, "Neither of them deserve to be used as weapons! Nor the other zoners that you have captured, you _monster!_ "

" _Oh my_ , a monster? Me? You have me confused with... _someone else._ " Mr. Cosmo reached up and rubbed the underside of Draow's jaw and throat. The winged zoner seemed to like it. "The untamed zoners are the real monsters here, Rudy. You're just _too..._ optimistic about them to see it. Though I admit, I am surprised that you really think that Skrawl is worth saving. Why would you want to save someone who keeps trying to kill you?"

The teenager didn't know how to answer that question. He resorted to just glaring at Mr. Cosmo.

The red-haired man did not fail to notice this discrepency. "See? You can't even come up with a good answer." He motioned to Rudy. "You just want to save him because you believe it's 'right'. But tell me, would he even care to return the favor? Have you ever saved him before? Did he ever return the gesture? Has he ever thanked you for the help?"

" _I..._ " Rudy tried to say. He soon shook his head and growled, "He _still_ doesn't deserve to be used by _you..._ "

" _Oh how noble_ of you... Wanting to believe such things... But in the end, that won't get you far, would it? As soon as you save this Skrawl, is he going to be respectful of you? Or is he going to stab you in the back?" Mr. Cosmo asked him, practically staring into his soul. "I imagine you helped him out before, but didn't he go right back to treating you like crap? Did I get _close?_ "

Rudy struggled to answer, but his voice had vanished.

"Now why in the world, if that is the case, should you really care for this creature? If he doesn't care about you, how wise is it for you to free him? At least in that glass jar, he can't hurt anyone, not even you." Mr. Cosmo said. His voice was calm and almost soothing... _if_ it weren't for the smile on his face or for the fact that Rudy knew that he was no friend. "This is where zoners belong, Rudy. They need something to keep them from hurting other people. You've seen the proof for yourself."

Rudy looked over at Skrawl. He could feel his mind tingling with thoughts as he let Mr. Cosmo's words sink in a little bit. He couldn't deny the fact that Skrawl was a dangerous zoner. He had tried to take over ChalkZone numerous times. Rudy has had his fair share of difficulties against him. The jellybean zoner would stop at nothing to take over ChalkZone. Maybe Mr. Cosmo was...

No, he was _wrong._ Regardless of Skrawl's recent actions, he didn't deserve to be locked up like this. He didn't deserve to be treated like he was some sort of wild animal. If Mr. Cosmo wanted to deal with him, why not just send him to a prison? Why trap him and use him like this? Rudy gritted his teeth tightly as he swerved his head back to Mr. Cosmo's direction. The man looked almost surprised by this move, but nonetheless still stared at him unblinking.

"You still don't see the truth, do you, kid? I'm not surprised. You're as stubborn as I remember myself being. You just don't want to look beyond those foggy glasses that you protect your mind with." Mr. Cosmo turned his head to the side. His eyes furrowed, as though slightly disappointed with Rudy. He raised his arm up to the side and flicked his hand forward, gesturing to Ms. Saffron. "I think we're done here. Take Rudy to his...accommodations. I think he needs some time to _think about this._ "

Ms. Saffron nodded her head. "As you wish, sir."

But before she could even start to drag Rudy away, the boy wriggled himself forward. He yanked harder and harder at random intervals. Then, when he had done this enough times, he managed to break free. He pushed back against Ms. Saffron before rushing at where Mr. Cosmo was.

"Where is my friend, you..." Rudy started to say before something large and heavy rammed up against him. He let out a pained grunt as he was forced into the ground by something large and heavy. He glared up at Draow as the beast put his head close to him, teeth bared.

"At ease, Draow." Mr. Cosmo raised his hand up as he approached, coming down from his ascended desk. Draow snorted once before lifting his head a bit away from Rudy. But his foot remained on the teen's body, using his weight to hold him down. Mr. Cosmo stared at Rudy intently. "Now, what did you hope to accomplish with that little stunt, Rudy?"

"Shut up! Unless you're going to tell me where Snap is..." Rudy started to say.

Mr. Cosmo shook his head slowly. "You really are making this harder than it has to be, Rudy. I've already told you everything that you need to know." He made a few small gestures with his hand, most of the time with the palm facing up. "You cannot keep going on like this, Rudy. You are only going to wind up hurt in the end. Even your closest creations can and will turn on you one day...unless you do something about it ahead of time."

Rudy could feel his body's trembling returning. He grabbed onto Draow's leg and started to push back against it. The only response that he got was his arm constantly failing him and Draow's toes and talons flexing and curling more firmly against him. He realized how grateful he should be that Draow wasn't driving his claws into him... _yet. If Mr. Cosmo ordered it..._

By this point, Mr. Cosmo was standing near him, as well as Ms. Saffron. Rudy hadn't realized that the two were coming towards him. Ms. Saffron hung back mostly, her expression seeming like it was yielding a little bit of sympathy for him. But she still did nothing to help him. And as for Mr. Cosmo, he was just standing there with his arms folded back behind him, his eyes showing little else besides disappointment and a bit of curiosity.

"The zoners have you brainwashed. It's such a shame that it's working for so long. You must have been in ChalkZone recently, haven't you?" Mr. Cosmo asked. When Rudy didn't respond, he sighed and nodded his head. "That's what I thought. I do fear that the best course of action for you is solitary confinement. Perhaps being alone for a while will help those poisonous thoughts leave you and then you will be more... _receptive_ of us."

Rudy continued to struggle and wriggle on the ground, baring his teeth, showing no signs of backing down. But no matter what he tried, it wasn't enough to get Draow to get off of him. He eventually stopped squirming long enough to shoot a glare at the man. "Tell me where Snap is now, you _good-for-nothing..._ " Rudy only stopped when Draow pushed down on his chest harder, nearly stopping his breathing.

Mr. Cosmo stared at him for a few long moments. He looked over at Ms. Saffron before glancing back down at Rudy. "You need to stop caring about that little _lowly_ creature."

Rudy could feel his blood reaching its boiling point at that statement.


	15. A Prisoner Of Blue

Despite the woman being stronger than him, Rudy still tried to free himself. He wasn't ready to just give up yet. He attempted to find a way to slip free from the woman's grasp _and..._

Nothing he did worked. It was just failure after failure, just like before. He eventually just had to come to the realization that there was no escaping for him from this. He stuck here, and that was something that he was just going to have to accept. At least until he could figure out another plan.

He could feel his feet tripping and slipping underneath him, nearly causing him to sprain his other foot. He was surprised he was able to rush at Mr. Cosmo like that earlier. Perhaps the adrenaline numbed the pain long enough for something like that to happen. But now that adrenaline was gone and he could feel the pain in his ankle full force. It made walking down the hallway while being dragged a lot more...uncomfortable.

But this paled to what he had learned about Mr. Cosmo and his plans. He hadn't been prepared for that sort of callous behavior, those horrendous beliefs, him trying to get him to see things the way he did. That man tried to convince him that Skrawl deserved to be locked up how he was and that Snap wasn't worth his time. He tried to convince Rudy that all zoners were dangerous and that he was a fool to trust any one of them.

 _All because of the black chalk.._

Even though he knew so little about it and only just heard of it from Mr. Cosmo, Rudy could already feel his blood freezing at the mere thought of that chalk. _Just how was it able to convince Mr. Cosmo of all of that? What did it have to do to make him see things that way? What did..._

Rudy's train of thought was interrupted when Ms. Saffron suddenly grabbed him from a different angle and tossed him forward. Rudy was only vaguely aware of flying past between the straight walls where a door would be before crashing into the ground painfully. He groaned and grunted as he got himself off of his feet and turned to glare at Ms. Saffron. By this time, the door had been locked.

Rudy's immediate instinctual reaction was to rush towards the door and try to pound on it. He rammed himself against it, slammed it with his fist, kicked at it with his good foot, whatever he could to try to break it down. He repeated this a few times, over and over again. But nothing would budge this thick, heavy door, and his foot and hand and shoulder started to ache from his repeated attempts at escape.

He didn't bother trying to scream at Ms. Saffron to try to make her let him go. It was useless. By this point, Ms. Saffron had already turned around to leave. He could hear her footsteps moving away, disappearing into the distance. This quickly left him in this room alone.

Rudy eventually stopped pounding and struggling against the door and took a few steps back. As his body echoed with the pain of his efforts, his mind forced itself to rethink of what happened and what his current situation was.

 _There was no getting out of here..._ at least not like _this._ If he waited for Mr. Cosmo, it would be a while. The man had ordered him to be locked up until further notice. The man hadn't given up on him and he fully intended on getting Rudy to agree with him, even if it was by force. Locking him up alone like this, away from his friends, was an ingenius idea, as much as Rudy hated to admit it. He would try to resist, but he wasn't sure how long he could last on his own. And that was assuming that Mr. Cosmo didn't plan for anything else.

Rudy's arm still ached from his recent attempt at escaping. He had tried to punch Ms. Saffron, hoping that would make her let him go. But it turned out to be a huge mistake and now his joint had some small bruisings around it. He reached down and gently caressed that area before tears started to form in his eyes, the reality of his situation crashing down upon him.

Rudy tried to control himself, but he couldn't stop his legs from shaking and growing weak to the point of just collapsing down. He banged his knees against the hard, unforgiving ground, his hands keeping him from falling down completely. He held himself like that for several long moments, breathing in and out heavily, as the tears refused to stop flowing down. The sound of his sobs wracked throughout the small room he had been placed in. And he began to ask himself the same question over and over again.

 _Just why did this happen...?_

sss

Ms. Saffron rubbed her hands against her arms a few times, trying to literally 'scrape off' the guilt that she was feeling right now. Even reminding herself over and over again that it was the right thing to do didn't help her that much. She gritted her teeth tightly as she forced herself to continue down the hallway. Mr. Cosmo would be waiting for her. She didn't want to leave him high and dry.

But as she went to meet with him, her mind still floated back to that child. She was still reminded of what had happened, which was just recently too, and she couldn't fully shake off the feelings that she was getting from it. She licked her lips slowly and did her best not to allow herself to get eaten up by her guilt for too long. It wasn't like they were going to hurt the child. They just wanted him to understand.

Ms. Saffron herself had a difficult time understanding. She sort of understood Rudy's situation, as hers wasn't too far off. Except that she hadn't been brainwashed like Rudy had been. She had been fortunate to have run into Mr. Cosmo long before that happened. She felt sorry for the child and she wished that he would be more open to speaking with Mr. Cosmo. She wanted him to understand that this man _wasn't_ his enemy.

But you know what they say. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Rudy would have to come on his own free will. She just hoped that it happened sooner rather than later.

Up ahead, she could see a familiar man standing there, waiting for her to get closer. She didn't hesitate to speed herself up, soon coming right up to where Mr. Cosmo was.

"So you're finally here." Said Mr. Cosmo. Despite the word choice, he wasn't exactly upset. "I take it the boy is secured?"

Ms. Saffron nodded her head. "He won't be going anywhere, I assure you."

" _Good, good.._ " Mr. Cosmo moved in closer. He reached out and he stroked Ms. Saffron's cheek with the back of one of his hands. "I knew I could count on you, Ms. Saffron. Talented _and_ resourceful.."

Ms. Saffron couldn't help but blush at this statement. She felt herself moving a little away from Mr. Cosmo, his hand soon slipping off from her face. She could feel him looking at her in confusion, clearly wondering just what was troubling her. Ms. Saffron licked her lips, trying to find some way of moving this forward, but she had a feeling that such a thing won't be possible.

Indeed, it was Mr. Cosmo who had to speak up. "I like how you react, Ms. Saffron. It's so... _adorable._ "

Ms. Saffron finally found her voice. " _S-S-Sir..._ " Well at least for a few moments.

Mr. Cosmo didn't attempt to move in closer this time. He just stared at her, his eyes moving up and down her body as though admiring it. Ms. Saffron shifted at this, feeling slightly uncomfortable being examined like this. She was thankful that it was only swift and the man returned to talking about other more important manners.

"Now I have another task I would like you to perform. Though I'm sure you're already aware of what that is." Mr. Cosmo said with a knowing smile on his face.

That smile alone was enough for Ms. Saffron to realize exactly what he meant. "Oh no, you don't mean..."

Mr. Cosmo nodded his head. "You know that these filthy, evil creatures still _need_ to _eat._ They won't be of any use to us if we let them starve to death. Don't act like it's a big deal." He shrugged his shoulders at his side slightly. "They might be drawings, but they still require nutrients. And you know that dead bodies aren't good for anything, especially chalk ones. Those are especially worthless as you can't use them for anything. Not _even_ food."

Ms. Saffron felt her teeth grinding against each other. She couldn't really argue with Mr. Cosmo on that. She knew that he was right. This was a necessity and if it were skipped, those zoners would be unable to benefit society. Though she wondered why it was that important if more could just be drawn. But she won't try to question Mr. Cosmo on that. He did make it clear that he would rather not kill any of the zoners if it didn't have to come to it and she didn't want to oppose him.

But she _still_ didn't feel all that comfortable around the zoners. She didn't feel all that safe with them. The zoners were all locked up in their own rooms and there was nothing restraining any of them. The only one that was more tightly secured was that Skrawl fellow. Mr. Cosmo wanted to try something out on him and he promised that, if it worked, it would make her trips into the rooms a lot safer. But for now, she had to endure going into the rooms, armed with only a spray bottle, in order to give chalk food and chalk water to the zoners to keep them from starving and dehydrating to death.

"Do you _understand_ me, _Ms. Saffron...?_ "

The blonde woman instantly shook herself out of her thoughts as she looked back at Mr. Cosmo. She didn't realize that she had started to drift away. She rubbed the back of her head nervously, but she tried to sound as though she had heard everything.

"Y-Yes, sir. I'll get right to it." With that, she turned and she began to head down the hallway. She didn't hear Mr. Cosmo trying to call out to her or try to stop her. This must be what he wanted her to do. She swallowed hard. She just hoped that she would be able to handle it.

 _Wait_ , why wouldn't she be able to handle it? It's not like she hasn't done this before. It's been, what, the fourth time now she was assigned? She should be used to it by now.

 _Well whatever._ Time to feed those _creatures._ She continued to head down the hallway, soon making a turn and disappearing from Mr. Cosmo's sights.

sss

He would never get used to this place. Day in and day out, it was always the same. He would wake up, freeze in horror, and realize he was trapped somewhere. He would try briefly to escape, only to find that this place had been fortified to make sure that he could not get out. Then he would get lose in his own emotions and his mind would spin before he would collapse. Rinse and repeat.

Snap hissed softly as he leaned up against the soft pillow, one of the only forms of comfort in this room, as he thought about his situation. He looked straight up at the ceiling and then around the room. It was _very_ small. He would say that it was probably a third of the size of Rudy's bedroom. There was a bed in here, a small mirror on the wall, and just a little bit of walking space before the door was reached.

The door itself looked thick and heavy and it had a lock placed on it. This thing locked from the outside of course. He had already tried moving the handle but it won't budge. He imagined that there were other locks on the door that he could not see as well, ensuring that the door remained shut.

Normally this wouldn't be an issue. But someone clearly didn't want him to leave. This room not only had no ventilation system that he could try sneaking through, but the door's bottom itself had been _rigged._ Snap looked down at his hand and flinched when he saw the deep cuts he had given himself. They did stop bleeding at least, especially after they had been treated. It still served as a reminder that he shouldn't try to go underneath the door. Someone had put something _sharp_ there that made it impossible for him to move out that way.

At least it was the only injury that he sustained that involved blood. Surprisingly, that beastly creature that caught him, despite how terrifying that situation was, actually didn't hurt him that badly aside from a few bruises and small scrapes. That didn't make the memory any better, however, and Snap shuddered as he recalled the terrifying details.

 _His friends trying to save him..._

 _The beast grabbing onto him..._

 _Being taken away from his friends..._

Snap could feel a few tears moving down his face as he thought about his friends. He wasn't sure how Rudy and Penny were fairing. He had feared the worst when he became aware of more zoners being taken. He had heard their voices and he knew what was going on. He didn't know if Rudy and Penny would also become victims as well. He hoped that they escaped and found a way to stop all of this.

He felt himself being jerked from his thoughts when he heard the door opening up. He moved himself in his bed, enough to make his legs dangle over the edge of it. He stared intently at the person before him, immediately recognizing her.

" _You..._ " Snap said as he clenched his teeth tightly. He moved himself forward, letting himself stand in front of the bed. He made no effort to run forward. He wasn't stupid. He could see the water bottle the blonde woman was holding. "What do _you_ want?"

The woman looked a little bit uncomfortable at this. In response, Snap purposely did whatever he could to make himself look more intitmidating to the woman. He normally wouldn't do this to someone who might be scared of him, but in this case, he knew there wasn't much of a choice. He had to make sure that she didn't try to get the best of him.

"The same as usual." The woman eventually said. "It's feeding time."

Snap growled at this, his body arching. "I've told you before. I'm not some kind of dog..."

"Of course you're not. You're something else _entirely._ " The woman said, her voice soft and low. "But still, you need food just like me. Wouldn't want you to starve, now do we?"

Snap could feel his stomach rumbling a little. He hadn't eaten in a while. In fact, this woman only sees him once a day. That's the only time he's ever given anything in these past few days he was trapped there. Once a day and that's it. It left him constantly feeling starved. It was as though these people only wanted to give him the most minimum nourishment possible to keep him alive.

Just what did they want him for, _anyway?_ What were their _plans?_ This woman would never divulge anything. He only knew that he was being locked up in this place and these people obviously want him alive and healthy...to an extent. Underfeeding him wasn't exactly the healthiest thing to do, but they did still treat his hand injury somewhat. So they obviously don't want him sick or too weak. But that still didn't answer his question on what these creepazoids wanted to do with him.

However, he had long given up on trying to get information out of this woman. She hadn't even told him her name yet. What would convince her to tell him anything else? His only option was to just take the food, sit down, eat it, and be alone again.

But how long could he take that. The solitary confinement may not have affected him too much so far, but being a social zoner, it was starting to get to him. He could feel something crawling from his feet and hands and upward, giving him a chilling sensation. He knew that this was only going to continue getting worse.

"Aren't you going to take your food?" The woman asked, finally breaking the silence. "If you don't want any food today, I can toss this out and you can eat tomorrow."

Snap felt a rush of chilliness at this. He shook his head and immediately moved forward. He didn't say a word as he grabbed onto the sandwich and glass of water that the woman was handing to him. He noticed how the woman quickly moved back from him, as though she thought he was going to bite her or something. He said nothing about this, choosing to focus on the food and drink rather than questioning the woman on why she was _so_ antsy with him.

It didn't take him long to eat his first bite of the sandwich. The feeling of food moving through him and entering his stomach felt good and immediately settled down his rumbling stomach. He licked his lips before he took another bite, continuing to soothe his rumbling stomach.

After he took a sip of water, he looked over and happened to notice the woman still standing there. Of course, she was waiting for him to finish so she could take the plate and move on. Snap could feel himself smirking to himself as he decided to have a little fun with the woman and he began to eat at a more painfully slow rate. The effect was almost immediate.

"Hurry up, you little blue idiot." The woman hissed through clenched teeth. "You aren't the _only one_ who hasn't eaten yet today."

Snap sneered at her. "And _just how_ are you going to make me speed up?"

Snap immediately froze when the woman pointed her water bottle at him, her eyes narrowing into slits. She didn't say a word. The intent was rather clear. Snap didn't know if she would actually hurt him or not. But he knew that he couldn't take that chance. He eyed the water bottle carefully before he started to resume eating, this time moving faster than he had been before.

He tried to settle his racing heart, but he found it difficult to do so. He remembered the other times he had been touched by water and how much that hurt. _To have this woman threaten to spray him..._

Snap hurried up to finish the food that he had been given. It did settle down his stomach for the time being at least. It was better than nothing. At least he won't go hungry for a while.

But he was still curious as to why he was brought here at all. He hadn't been told anything. He didn't think that it was anything good, but considering that he was a prisoner here, did he not deserve to at least know why he was here? They were going to go through all this effort to do something with him. The least that they could do was just tell him what the fuck was going on.

But would this woman even tell him? Would she bother giving out any sort of information? The only real way to find out was to just...ask her. But that seemed like a far stretch. The woman already looked like she was ready to leave. If Snap were to get any sort of answer out of here, he would need to act now.

" _Hey..._ " Snap asked. He kept his voice calm and quiet, not wanting to accidentally upset the woman. His voice was devoid of the snark that he had before. "What exactly is...going on here?" Snap paused for a moment to grit his teeth. "It's obvious that I was brought here for a reason." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Care to spare me the details?"

The woman stared at him for a few long moments. The silence started to get to Snap as he felt rapidly uncomfortable. He shifted a little on the bed, his eyes unable to leave hers. Eventually the woman responded with, "That isn't any of _your_ business."

Snap's eyes widened at that response. Then they narrowed again. "What do you mean by that? I'm a prisoner here, in case you hadn't noticed!" Snap resisted the urge to rush towards the woman, the spray bottle being his main deterrent. "You go out of your way to kidnap me and you don't have the _decency_ to tell me _why?!_ "

The woman was hardly fazed by what Snap had said. "It's not really of your concern. Nothing's going to happen right now anyway, so you can just..."

"Nothing now? What about later?" Snap asked. "At what point do I 'earn the right' to know?"

"...that is not something I can disclose to you right now. I'm _sorry._ " The woman finally said.

Snap growled at this. _Of course_ the woman was going to be _so difficult._ He wasn't really surprised by these answers. She was doing all that she could to evade the questions and make it seem like he didn't need to know. _Like fuck he didn't need to know..._ This woman obviously knew something and he was going to find out what it was.

"Listen here, I was dragged away from my friends by your large beast thing. I was thrown in here with no explanation. I spent days in here, cooped up, with only you to look forward to, and one meal a day. Meanwhile, my friends are worried for me and I fear for them. I deserve to know exactly what you have planned and I deserve to know exactly what is going on. So tell me now, _or I'll..._ "

Snap stopped when the woman raised the spray bottle at him once more. The woman's eyes narrowed a little further, glinting with warning. "Or you'll _what?_ "

Snap didn't want to, but he had no choice but to back down. He leaned away from the woman, his head lowering down a little in submission. This gesture was enough to make the blonde female human move the spray bottle away from him.

"That's a good little zoner. Now if you'll excuse me, I have _more_ of you zoner creatures to feed."

Snap knew that he wasn't going to get any of the information that he wanted from her. But there was still something that he could ask that might not warrant as much resistance. "What's your name?"

The woman paused as she was halfway out of the door. She remained there for several long moments. She soon looked over her shoulder and stared over at Snap with one eye. Snap thought he could see some sort of shift in her expression, although he couldn't tell exactly what that was.

In a soft, almost hissy kind of voice, the woman responded. "...My name is Ms. Saffron..."

Snap nodded his head very slowly, deliberately, as he processed that name. Though it wouldn't mean much to the female human, he still said, "I'm Snap." He paused, and then said, "Or Snap White. Both will work just fine."

" _Hmm..._ " Ms. Saffron hummed before she turned and started to move out of the room, leaving Snap alone.

The blue and white zoner stared at where the woman had left, processing what had gone on. He didn't really learn much from that, now did he? He had hoped that he would have at least learned something. But he guessed that you can't always get what you want. All he could do right now was just lay down and try to keep himself calm. All by himself, that was the only thing that he could do to keep himself from going crazy.

As he sat there in the bed, curling himself up with his knees pressed up against his chest and chin resting on it, he started to think about his friends. Especially Rudy and Penny. The last that he had seen of them, they had been knocked to the ground by the big winged beast. He had no idea if they were okay or not. He sincerely hoped that they were.

And he hoped that they would be able to find him before these people did...who knows what to him.

 _But was that all just wishful thinking...?_


	16. Worry And Determination

Penny kept looking over her shoulder to see if her friend was about to ring the doorbell. She listened intently, only for nothing to happen. She gritted her teeth and slowly turned her head away. She let out a small sigh, her mind growing weary as each second ticked by.

 _Just where was Rudy?_ He's been gone for a while now. Several hours. The sun was already starting to set. She hadn't gone into ChalkZone yet because she was waiting for him. She had been hoping that they could explore ChalkZone more and try to find their friends. The fact that it was getting dark and she heard nothing began to worry her.

She had mentioned something to her mom a little while ago. Her mom did try to call the Tabooties, but there was no answer. Penny tried not to worry about that as it probably means that they were still out there. Maybe things were taking longer at Mr. Cosmo's place and...

She shuddered as she thought about what she and Rudy had discussed about Mr. Cosmo. She had wanted to believe that everything was going to be all right and that nothing was going on with Mr. Cosmo. But her suspicions never died down. And with Rudy seemingly missing, she couldn't help but feel as though Mr. Cosmo played a role in this. Those test questions, they focused way too much on art and wasn't as balanced as most tests would have been. Something about that didn't add up.

 _But what was she going to do?_ It wasn't like she could just get up and walk over there to find out what's going on. She didn't know how she would get there and she doubted that her mom would agree to take her. She was aware that her mother had a lot of work to do today. In fact, this was quite often the case. Her mom can't just leave her small vet office in order to go visit Mr. Cosmo's place. Especially if it turns out it was all for naught.

But she also couldn't just sit in her bed, doing nothing but think about what's going on. Even if Mr. Cosmo was not to blame, something still happened to her friend. It might not be that bad. It might just be something that delayed him. But she still needed to find out. She needed to know what was going on with Rudy. And she wasn't going to just 'let this go'.

She realized quickly that her mom was going to be busy with her current clients today for a while. So that gave her time to head into ChalkZone to try to figure things out. She would just need to be quick.

Drawing a portal, Penny headed through and into ChalkZone. After ensuring the portal was erased just in case, she began to walk forward. She nearly tripped over a few times on the jumbles of letters, numbers, and symbols that were being erased. It reminded Penny that eventually, she was going to need to clean this place up again, unless she didn't mind the pile that was crawling up from the ground as a result of her work.

She shook that thought out of her mind for now as she continued to head on down, getting closer to the city. It was going to take a while for her to get used to the sound of a silent city, the sight of an emptied out series of buildings. Well almost empty, that is. The zoners were still there; they were just remaining hidden, unwilling to come out for fear of Draow. In fact, Penny didn't actually want to bother them, but she felt as though there wasn't much of another choice. They might have seen something that would help.

Penny walked down the main street of ChalkZone City. She felt her blood chilling as she continued to hear absolutely nothing. She felt the tension growing around her, coming in closer and threatening to break her. She huddled herself in closer, rubbing her hands together as she struggled to figure out just what she was going to do.

After a few minutes and hearing nothing, she stopped walking and looked around left and right. Usually by now, at least one zoner would be brave enough to go out and talk to her. Perhaps it was time for her to go in and talk to them? Or would she end up panicking the zoners, making them think that she was Draow? _Or worse_ , what if _Draow_ watched her talk to them and figure out where the zoners were hiding?

Seeing how there were still no zoners showing up, Penny started to think that she should knock on one of the doors. She wasn't going to leave without some sort of information. She could never bring herself to do that.

But she never got a chance to knock on one of the doors. She was about to. She had gotten pretty close to it and her hand was raised up, fingers pressed down, knuckles ready. However, this was as far as she had went before she heard someone calling out to her.

"Penny!" A voice shouted in her direction.

Looking over her shoulder, she could see a zoner approaching her. Not a zoner that she could recognize, at least by name. They were one of the many stick figure zoners that inhabited this place. One of many that were identical. She did feel bad for not knowing the zoner's name, but right now, more pressing matters invaded her mind.

Penny did not hesitate with her questioning. "Hey, did anymore zoners happen to..." Her voice trailed off softly as she tapped her fingers together nervously. "Well, you know..."

The stick figure zoner frowned at this. " _No..._ But we don't know where they've been taken."

Penny felt some sense of relief that no more zoners had disappeared. But that was of little comfort to her. There was no telling how long it would be before another vanishes. And the fact that they don't know where the zoners had been taken made her worry even more. Until they can find out where they were and rescue them, even if Draow didn't return, there would be no peace here.

"I sure hope that Rudy can find them. A lot of zoners are counting on him." Said the zoner.

Penny felt a little jilted that the zoner seemed to be hinting that none of them were looking to her for help. But it was probably just this one zoner, anyway. She pushed those feelings aside as she took a step forward, staring intently at the zoner. She hated to have to tell them this, but they were going to find out eventually when Rudy continued failing to return. "I think Rudy's in trouble."

The stick figure's eyes widened in horror at this. " _Oh no..._ Not _him_ too..." The zoner whispered, their voice barely audible.

"I think I might know where he is... But first..." Penny had a feeling that she knew what the answer was going to be. But she had to make sure. "Have you seen him anywhere? Did you happen to take notice of him coming into ChalkZone?"

The stick figure immediately shrugged and shook their head. "I'm sorry, but the last time I saw him, he was with _you._ "

"I see..." Penny sighed in disappointment. She had hoped that this zoner would have known something. But she was still grateful for the information and she nodded her head to the zoner. "Thank you."

With that, she turned around and started to walk away. She could have tried asking more zoners instead of stopping at just the one. But it didn't seem like it would be of any good. It was unlikely any of the zoners had seen anything. She had only been fooling herself. She should have known something like this was going to happen. She should have just left without asking that question.

She quickly realized that she didn't have too much of an option at this point. She would need to begin to formulate some kind of plan to figure out where Rudy was. The first place to check was Mr. Cosmo's building. She knew where it was. That wouldn't be a problem. But at the same time, she still wasn't sure how she should approach this. Simply walking over into that building was not working to work.

And even if Rudy was there, she still needed to figure out how she was going to go about helping him. She didn't even know if he needed help. And yet it didn't feel right to just...

She heard the sound of tiny flapping coming her way. She could hear what sounded like a tiny voice panting. She hardly got a chance to turn her head before she could see a familiar sight before her. Penny nearly jumped back in shock when she saw this zoner going nearly right up to her face.

" _S-S-Spy Fly?!_ " Penny called out. "You _scared_ me!"

"I'm sorry, _comrade._ But I overheard your dilemma there." Spy Fly explained. She held her hand up in gesture. "And I think I can help."

sss

Rudy lifted up a hand to wipe his face. It was bone dry, even his still stinging cheeks. He had stopped crying a while ago. Not because he wanted to. But because he literally had no more tears left to cry. He tried and he tried, but all he could manage was just a burning sensation and a small hiss. He swallowed hard as he turned his head, feeling himself pressed up against the pillow.

This tiny room's walls were rapidly closing in all around him. He felt like he was going to get suffocated any moment and that there was absolutely no escape. He struggled to breathe, struggled to keep his spinning mind under control, yet he couldn't completely stop the sensation of being spun around as though on some kind of platter. Rudy curled himself inward and started to shudder.

He still couldn't believe that this was happening. He couldn't believe that he had been taken here against his will. He couldn't believe that he was trapped in such a horrible place. But most of all, he couldn't believe just what Mr. Cosmo had planned for ChalkZone. It was just... _too horrible_ to imagine.

 _Just what did that man think he would accomplish from that? What did he think he could succeed in if he..._

Rudy was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard the sound of the door opening up slowly. He could see a shadow moving along the wall. He didn't need to see much else for him to figure out who the shadow belonged to. Rudy growled softly, gritting his teeth. He said not a word as that horrible, evil man walked into the room.

"I had a feeling you were going to be moping around." Mr. Cosmo stated calmly as he shut the door behind him. Rudy hardly reacted to the somewhat loud clanging, his eyes remaining focused on the man. "Are you going to keep laying there all day or did you do a little thinking?"

Rudy growled lowly, resisting the temptation to tear the man a new one. But knowing that wouldn't really fall into his favor, he instead chose to just turn his head away from him. "If you've come here to try to comvince me to join you, I'm afraid you won't find much success." Grumbled Rudy. "I'm not going to fall for it. You already _know my stance._ "

"I didn't really expect you to change this fast. I know it would take more time and more...encouragement. I was just...hoping that you've at least thought about it." Mr. Cosmo tapped his fingertips together. "I really don't want to keep you in here. But I also can't trust you. _Please..._ Do something to prove to me that I can trust you."

Rudy couldn't help but scoff at this request. He nearly laughed, wondering just how in the world this man thought that he was going to respond to that. Did he really think that he was going to convince him to join just because he asked? Did he _really_ think that he was going to make him agree with his actions _just because_ he said so? Rudy tried not to shake his head, despite the temptations. Even _Skrawl_ wasn't this much of an idiot.

Rudy could feel himself narrowing his eyes further as he looked back at Mr. Cosmo. Emotions began to rise up as his mind wandered, remembering what this man had told him before, remembering all that he had done. Rudy took in a few deep breaths, the back of his mouth burning as he slowly became dehydrated. Yet he hid this fact from Mr. Cosmo. He wanted to keep himself from being coaxed to his side that easily. He didn't want Mr. Cosmo to be able to force him to join by simply denying him water and food.

He could hear Mr. Cosmo clearing his throat as he prepared for another speech. Rudy simply turned his head away and kept it there, showing no interest in wanting to see the man's face. He didn't want to hear him talk, either. But he had a feeling that this was inescapable. He turned out to be right.

"I wish you would really think about what you're doing, Rudy Tabootie. You're missing out on an opportunity here." Mr. Cosmo said. His voice sounded almost...pleading. "I'm asking you to help me with a project that will better mankind. I thought you were all for that."

Rudy couldn't stop himself from serving his head to glare at the man, his teeth bared. "I never agreed to join your mission to slaughter ChalkZone!" The words left his mouth before he had a chance to stop himself.

" _Slaughter Cha..._ Oh my, boy, you must be _exaggerating._ That isn't what I want at all." Mr. Cosmo took a step forward. He stopped when he heard Rudy growling at him. That didn't stop him from starting to speak. "Look, I don't want that world destroyed anymore than you do. I've told you before, or did you forget?" He motioned his hand up in gesture. "I want to keep that world alive, Rudy. It has too much potential to just destroy it. Think of all that it can do for us."

Rudy just kept glaring at the man. "Yeah, for _humans..._ " He moved his head away, staring into nothingness. "You don't care about the _zoners._ "

Mr. Cosmo rolled his eyes. "You're still falling for the 'zoners are innocent' crap, aren't you?" Rudy didn't answer. Mr. Cosmo's expression hardened slightly, but still somehow had a soft edge to it. "I see... I guess the zoners got to you more completely than I thought. But if you are so worried about them, then why do you care about this?" He motioned to himself with both hands, the tips slightly touching his chest. "I'm not going to kill anymore zoners, Rudy. That was a mistake on my part in the past and I don't plan on repeating it."

"You'll kill _more if_ you let people into that world. People are going to use and abuse that world. You would be responsible for more deaths, even if you didn't lay a hand directly." Rudy felt his body tremble. "And on top of all that, humans could be hurt as well. Do you think that no one is going to try to create a superweapon?"

Mr. Cosmo appeared to freeze at this, as though he were finally listening. But that moment was short-lived as he just smiled at Rudy, releasing a few low chuckles. "You don't think I don't have plans for that? I've been thinking about this for a long time and I've been thinking of all of the angles. Despite what you might think, Rudy, things won't fall apart under my ruling. Just how that is possible, you'll only find out if you join me."

Rudy scoffed at this and turned his head away. "What makes you think I want to be any part of it?"

"You just love making things difficult, don't you?"

"You wouldn't have to deal with me if you'd just let me go."

" _...Touche_ , little boy."

The next few moments was filled with silence. Despite it weighing down on Rudy, he almost welcomed this. It was better than being forced to listen to this man constantly talking, flapping his gums. Rudy resisted the temptation to say anything or to look at the man. A part of him wondered if, so long as he kept ignoring him, he'd go away.

But he could feel the man's presence behind him. He could see the shadow upon the wall. It was clear that this man was not going to go anywhere. It didn't matter what he said or did. Nothing was going to stop the man from doing this, from trying to get what he wanted. Rudy licked his dry lips once and sighed. He tried to think of what else he could do to make the man leave. But nothing would come to mind.

This was what most of the meeting was going to be like, wasn't it? More of this man trying to convince him of how evil the zoners were and trying to make him 'wise up' and join him. But Rudy wasn't going to allow that to happen. Mr. Cosmo was going to have to try really hard before he could succeed in doing something like that. Rudy wasn't as stupid or gullible as this man might think.

"Come now, Rudy... _Even you_ must know that zoners are another species... And since they're another species, they don't think like us. And if they don't think like us, then they need to be controlled. It's the only way to make sure that they don't attack us."

Rudy felt his blood boiling inside of him. He ground his teeth together and struggled to try to control himself. He could feel his blood sizzling and starting to burn his internal blood vessels. He could feel his breathing hanging in his mouth, feeling as though something was starting to block it. His head hurt and he felt his world become spinny.

And yet he still kept himself from answering. He knew what kind of response he'd get and he wasn't interested in listening to more of this man's rubbish. It was only going to be a gigantic waste of time. He had no interest in being a part of that. He shifted himself away from the man, hugging his arms to himself, and stared off at the wall.

Mr. Cosmo sighed at this response. "You really can't see how dangerous they truly are, can you, kid?" When Rudy still didn't respond, the man continued, "Well of course you can't. You aren't letting yourself see the reality for what it is. You still want to foolishly hold onto these childish beliefs. You want to see a _friend_ when you _should be_ seeing an _enemy._ "

Rudy tried not to let the man's words get to him. But it was getting incredibly difficult. He felt his breath slowly morphing into steam the longer he was forced to listen.

Mr. Cosmo continued, "ChalkZone is a dangeorus world where anything can happen. You should know this. You're supposed to be its _guardian_ , right?" The man paused, giving Rudy a chance to respond. All Rudy did was huff loudly. "You're so worried about what could happen if that world is exposed. But so long as those zoners run free, our world will never be safe. So long as this place is kept a secret, that increases the odds of someone using it to create this 'superweapon' that you speak of. It's only through revealing this world _and then controlling it..._ will we ensure safety for everyone."

Rudy felt his lip curling up into a snarl. He couldn't resist hissing the words, " _You're wrong..._ "

" _Am I?_ Why would you even try to say that, after the way that this Skrawl fellow you defended earlier tried to hurt you?" Mr. Cosmo stated. "My friend told me all about it."

Rudy tried his best not to snap at Mr. Cosmo, knowing full well what the consequences would have been. But he still turned to glare at the man. It was too difficult to ignore him. Especially with all the stuff that he was spitting out of his mouth. "Why do you keep trying to convince me?"

Mr. Cosmo's expression softened up slightly. "Because I believe in you, Rudy. I trust that you do want to help out everyone. And I trust that you will eventually find it in your heart to give me a chance." He moved in even closer. Rudy could see his hand lowering to him. Rudy growled but did nothing when Mr. Cosmo gently patted him on the head. "I don't want to hurt you. Just... _think_ about it, okay?"

The male teenager could feel the man's fingers gently playing with his hair a little. He would take this as a sign of affection from a family member or friend. But coming from Mr. Cosmo, it was just really creepy. He jerked himself away from Mr. Cosmo's hand and hissed, "I don't care _what_ Draow told you. I still wouldn't want Skrawl to be hurt over _this!_ "

Mr. Cosmo's stare seemed to bore right through Rudy's soul. The boy could feel himself shudder, feeling a cold chill. But he still kept up his glare, growling lowly as he stared at the man. He wasn't going to let himself falter, regardless of what the man was going to attempt to tell him.

But when the man did speak up again, Rudy was frozen in shock.

"Do you _really_ think that _Draow_ was whom I was referring to...?"

Rudy couldn't bring himself to look away from the man, his eyes blinking as he struggled to comprehend what he was just told. If Draow wasn't the 'friend' that Mr. Cosmo was referring to that had told him this information then... _who was?_


	17. A Nail On The Head

"I'll give you some time to think about this, Rudy. I do hope that you do reconsider your position. Otherwise, I'll be forced to use a new... _incentive._ And I don't want to do that." Mr. Cosmo told Rudy.

"What? What are you..." The door was closed. Rudy shouted loudly, pounding on the door. " _Wait! What are you talking about?!_ "

Mr. Cosmo let out a small sigh as he shook his head. He didn't answer Rudy's calls and instead just started to walk backwards a while. He listened to Rudy constantly trying to call out to him , trying to get him to answer. But Mr. Cosmo had no intention on telling Rudy anything more. It was clear that he still wasn't going to listen to reason. So it was best to just leave for now. He could always come back later to see if he was more willing to listen.

Mr. Cosmo eventually began to walk away. It was getting tiresome and irritating to listen to this kid keep yelling at him like this. It was getting on his nerves and he just... He didn't want to end up having to strike the child. He would much rather avoid that. For the kid's sake, he began to walk away.

 _So now what was he going to do?_ He had hoped that Rudy would be more cooperative now. But perhps an hour or two wasn't long enough to get someone to listen. And he was aware enough about Rudy to know that he was a pretty stubborn little fellow. It was going to require something else for him. Longer isolation and more efforts to really dig into his beliefs. Rudy needed to be weened from those incorrect beliefs as soon as possible. But in the end, it may take some time.

A part of Mr. Cosmo felt bad for Rudy. He could understand where he was coming from. After all, he himself used to share some similar beliefs as him. He used to see at least some zoners as friends and he used to think that zoners were like people. He was grateful that the black chalk got him out of here before things got any worse. _If only Rudy would just let himself be that open..._

No matter. Sooner or later, Rudy will concede to him. He would rather have him come over willingly. But if Rudy continued to be trouble, he may end up needing to force him to see things his way. He didn't want to play dirty like that, but then again, kidnapping Rudy and knocking out his parents was already playing dirty, _wasn't it?_

He headed down the hallway. It wasn't just Rudy that he wanted to speak to today. There was someone else that was deserving of his attention and time.

After some time of walking, he stopped in front of a large door. He looked at it up and down, making sure that it was still sealed up nice and tight. He put his ear against the door and listened intently, trying to figure out if someone was still in there. Once he determined that it was still occupied, he got out his keys and began to undo the several locks on the door. He pushed the door open and entered the room.

There, sitting in the bed in this tiny space, was his incentive that he mentioned to Rudy before.

That little blue zoner that Rudy had apparently named Snap.

Mr. Cosmo smiled as the zoner glared at him. Mr. Cosmo was aware of how attached Rudy still was to this thing. Despite what he told Rudy earlier, he did kind of hope that the child still remained attached to this creature, at least for a little while. After all, the incentive wasn't going to work that well if Rudy did not care.

"Hello, Snap. I take it you've eaten?" Mr. Cosmo took note of the crumbs on the ground. He chortled once as he spoke, keeping his gaze to the ground. "I see. Well that answers my question." He lifted his head up and looked towards Snap. "Other than that, how are you feeling?"

Snap's body was rigid and tense, although he hadn't tried making a move against him. "I don't know _who you are_ , but if you try to..."

"Oh I see you haven't been told yet. I thought Ms. Saffron would have told you. I'm Mr. Cosmo." The man said as he motioned to himself.

Snap's eyes widened at this. " _You're_ Mr. Cosmo?"

The red-haired man nodded his head once. "That is correct." He moved in closer, kicking the door shut behind him. Snap stared at him intently. He could sense the fear in the creature's eyes. Good, he should be afraid of him. "And I take it you want to know what's going on? Ms. Saffron told me that you keep asking her every time she visits you."

"Well _duh._ " Snap folded his arms. Despite any fear that was showing, the little zoner was clearly trying to be brave. "Don't you think I deserve to know? You kidnapped me, I didn't come to you!"

Mr. Cosmo nodded his head slowly. "Indeed, you didn't. Well then.." He leaned in, cocking his head to one side. "Do you want to know a little more? Since you'll be our... _guest_ for a while."

Snap narrowed his eyes slowly. "We'll see about that." He then raised his hand up and flicked it in the direction of the man. "But sure, go ahead and tell me this 'brillaint plan' of yours."

"Oh I don't plan on telling you everything. But since you haven't caused us too much trouble... _yet_ , I suppose you do deserve to know a little bit." Mr. Cosmo eyed the zoner carefully, ensuring that he didn't have a chance to surprise him. The zoner didn't seem like he was going to try anything, but you could never be too sure with a zoner. "And since I can see you getting worried..." It wasn't difficult to tell that tension was rising with the zoner. "I promise I will not touch you during this brief meeting."

Snap didn't appear to trust him. His body hardly relaxed. It would seem that the zoner was more perceptive than he gave him credit for. Mr. Cosmo gave Snap a few more seconds to process this information before he attempted to speak again.

"You're a very important piece, Snap. I don't know if I could feel secure in going about this without you." Mr. Cosmo moved in a little closer. He was tempted to grab the zoner, but resisted that temptation, instead opting to just stare intently into the zoner's eyes, causing him to lean back away from him. "If Rudy doesn't listen to me, then maybe he will listen to you."

Snap's solid white eyes went big like saucers at that comment. His body trembled and he leaned in towards the larger being. Mr. Cosmo was surprised when he grabbed onto him the way that he had, trying to pull him in closer. " _What do you plan on doing with Rudy?!_ "

Mr. Cosmo jerked himself away, freeing himself from the zoner without having to touch him. He watched the zoner fall flat onto the ground and he gave off a small snort. "You don't need to know the details of that yet. Just know that I have something big planned for you and your little world, and I want Rudy's help on that."

Snap pushed himself up onto one hand and wiped his hand over his mouth. "He would never help the likes of you..."

Mr. Cosmo just sneered at the blue and white zoner. "You don't think that he wouldn't try helping me if it means helping a friend.. _Like you..?_ "

Snap whispered, " _What...?_ "

sss

When Ms. Saffron spotted Mr. Cosmo heading down the hallway, away from where she knew the zoners were imprisoned, she immediately started to rush towards him. She was tempted to ask him just what he thought he was doing there and what he wanted with whatever zoner he had visited.

But even before she reached the man, her mand backtracked. Would it really be a good idea to mention anything to his man regarding his actions? Would it be safer and better to just keep her mouth shut and pretend that she knew nothing? She didn't want to upset her boss. And honestly, was it _really_ any of her business, _anyway?_

She slowed her pacing down. She couldn't try to turn around leave at this point. Her boss had already seen her. She would need to think of something else to talk about. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to think of something.

"Oh, Ms. Saffron. You look like you're in a hurry." Mr. Cosmo commented. He still sounded pretty pleasant. She guessed that the meeting with...whoever, had ended well. Though she still didn't understand why he had... "Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Ms. Saffron felt her teeth pressing into her lip. Even though she already had an idea of what she wanted to talk about, a part of her still felt unsure if she should bring it up at all. It's not as likely to upset the man as her asking about why he was talking to the zoners. But it still related to what they were doing. She had been keeping quiet about it, but she realized that she couldn't just keep holding back at this rate. She needed to say something.

"It's about... _Rudy..._ " She finally said, forcing herself to talk.

Mr. Cosmo tilted his head to one side. "Oh? What about him?"

Ms. Saffron fumbled with her fingers. She had never felt this nervous to talk to her boss before. She shifted her eyes left and right. She swallowed hard before she forced herself to keep speaking. "Is it _really...right_ to do all of this...?" She winced a little when she noticed Mr. Cosmo's expression. "I mean...taking him against his will and locking him up in here? Isn't that going to look suspicious?"

" _...not if_ no one finds out."

Ms. Saffron widened her eyes a little at this. So her boss was aware of what he was doing and how risky it was. And yet he was willing to do this all for... _what, exactly?_ Hoping that the boy would join him?

Ms. Saffron couldn't keep quiet on the issue. "But sir... What if someone reports him missing?" She motioned her hand up in gesture. "Surely some friends will notice, if not family members. What if they try searching here?"

Mr. Cosmo waved his hand to one side. "It's not a problem. Everyone in this company has agreed to keep quiet on it. They won't squeal."

"But what about Rudy? What if he pretends to agree, only to bail out and report you afterwards?" Ms. Saffron pointed out. "Did you think of what you are going to do for that?"

Mr. Cosmo nodded his head slowly. "You don't need to worry about that." He tilted his head upwards a little, a smile spreading along his face. "Rudy won't be able to report to anyone. I'll make sure that, if he tries to do that, he will regret it."

Ms. Saffron recalled the words she had said to Rudy. Similar to what Mr. Cosmo just said here. She did tell Rudy that he would regret it if he did anything too severe. She was aware that Mr. Cosmo could be... _pushy._ Although she didn't really know what tricks he had up his sleeve. And despite being in on making him stay, there was still a part of her that just...wasn't sure how well it would work out.

She understood that Mr. Cosmo really wanted Rudy to work for him. She was willing to help him accomplish that goal. But a part of her still feared backlash. Mr. Cosmo was too caught up in trying to succeed that he wasn't attempting to look at this from a logical stand point. How would they guarantee that Rudy _wouldn't_ try to tell someone what had happened? If he succeeded, then their hard work would be for not.

She wanted to believe that Mr. Cosmo knew what he was doing and that he truly did have it all figured out. But another part of her was still fearful. So much could go wrong. She didn't want to watch her boss fail after he had struggled so hard.

She nearly jolted when she felt the man caressing her cheek. She looked up at him and met his eyes. There was something about those eyes that told her that he knew what she was going through. She remained silent as she felt the hand continue to caress her face and she bit her lip. She tried to fight against the confusing feelings surging up inside of her. But she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up.

 _Why was the man doing this with her? Why was he treating her this way?_ She felt uncomfortable and yet she could not move away. She felt herself cringing slightly. This didn't seem to bother the man, and honestly, a part of her was liking this as well.

And then came the lips to her own. Firm and gentle, she did little to fight back when Mr. Cosmo kissed her again, like he had before. The seemingly simple action left her in a state of shock and she couldn't move, could barely breathe. She took in a few deep breaths as she stared intently at the man, many questions forming in her eyes, unable to speak them herself.

"It's going to be fine. I _promise_ you, Ms. Saffron." Mr. Cosmo said, clearly trying to reassure the woman. "Rudy is not going to do anything to ruin this company. You don't need to be afraid."

Ms. Saffron opened up her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. She gritted her teeth as she let out a small sigh, turning her head away. A part of her wanted to believe Mr. Cosmo. She wanted to think that she was just being paranoid and this whole thing would run smoothly.

But she couldn't shake off the worry that something could go wrong. She had seen the look in Rudy's eyes. She knew that he was going to be a rather determined child. She knew that he _wasn't_ going to give up so easily. She could only hope that Mr. Cosmo was prepared for _that._

sss

Penny couldn't help but blink in confusion as she stared at what was before her. She turned to face Spy Fly before looking back, trying to come to terms with what she was seeing. She licked her lips slowly and swallowed before she once again turned back to Spy Fly. She must look like a broken record right about now, right? She tried not to blush.

" _How did you..._ " Penny's voice faded away quickly, becoming dry. She could not bring herself to finish.

Spy Fly put her hands on her hips and straightened herself up in pride. "What, with all my flying around and gathering information, you don't think I wouldn't notice a thing or two?"

Penny didn't know how to respond to that. Nonetheless, she was still grateful for Spy Fly's help. If it weren't for her, she never would have found this small portal that led into Mr. Cosmo's building. She knew that this was the case because she had seen Mr. Cosmo walking by, apparently not noticing the open portal. Penny now had a way in, and a way to try to help her fried.

But she still couldn't just rush in there. She couldn't just ram herself through the portal and expect everything to work out. She needed to prepare herself just in case. She couldn't slip up and let Rudy down.

She _still_ wasn't really sure how she was going to go about _this_ , however. It was still going to be pretty tricky in figuring out everything that needed to be done. Getting in there is probably going to be the easiest part. But after traveling through, what else was she going to do? _If she couldn't figure out how she was going to go about this..._

"Why do you hesitate, comrade?" Spy Fly's voice came, practically buzzing in Penny's ear. "I thought you would be going through by now."

Penny looked over at the small insect zoner sadly. "I'd love to. I can't tell you how much I am grateful for this, and how much I really do want to go and help my friend. It's just..." She lowered her head a little. She could feel Spy Fly's eyes staring intently at her, waiting for her to speak up. "I don't want to screw this up. I really don't..." She exhaled shakenly, her mind whirling. "What if I make things _worse_ for Rudy? I-I _couldn't..._ "

" _Hmm, I see..._ " Spy Fly tapped a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "That is a problem."

"I don't want to stay out here the entire time. That would be wasteful. But..." Penny looked away from Spy Fly, her teeth becoming clenched. "I just... I don't know what to do. The longer I wait, who knows what Mr. Cosmo is doing with Rudy..."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. You don't want to hurt your brain, comrade." Spy Fly noticed Penny's expression and she was quick to move a dismissing hand to one side. "I don't mean it in that way, comrade. I'm just saying..." She slowly shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think Mr. Cosmo intends on hurting Rudy. If what you told me about him is true, then he'll likely not lay a hand on him."

Penny sighed and looked to one side. "I hope you are right."

Spy Fly stared at Penny for several moments before asking carefully, "Do you...want me to come with you? I could try to help you."

Penny looked over at Spy Fly and thought about this for several long moments. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to risk Spy Fly getting into trouble. But if she could help her in some way, _then..._ Well, perhaps it was worth at least a try, anyway. _What was the worst that could happen?_ She was such a tiny zoner, she could easily get herself out of whatever situation she got herself caught into.

And perhaps with Spy Fly's help, she could find her friend faster. Spy Fly could explore this place swiftly, look through every nook and cranny, and find a way to figure out just where Rudy was being held, if he really was kidnapped by Mr. Cosmo. She still wanted to hold out for the possibility of this just being a misunderstanding. But at the same time, what if it _wasn't?_ What if something really did happen? The longer that she waited, the worse it was going to get.

Eventually, upon realizing that Spy Fly was still looking at her in confusion, Penny nodded her head slowly. "S-Sure... Okay. You can help." She looked over at the small powerful. She sucked on her lip. "What do you think the first step should be?"

Spy Fly thought for a few moments before saying, "Maybe I should scout the area. I can make sure that there is no one coming, and then I can call you out."

"That sounds like a good idea." Penny said. "I will wait for you."

"All right. Be right back, comrade!" With that, Spy Fly headed through the small portal.

As Spy Fly headed in slowly to scout out the area, a part of Penny wondered how this portal went undiscovered. She guessed that it was only recently set up. This might be where the missing zoners were taken. Although it was not located where Draow took the others, so perhaps not. Or maybe not all the zoners were taken there. Maybe Mr. Cosmo himself played a role in all of this. Or maybe she was just overworking her mind with such silly nonsense and she was taking things too far.

Penny gritted her teeth as she tried to think of what she was going to do. _She couldn't just..._ She shook the thought out of her head, realizing that she was repeating herself again. She shook her head until she knew the thought had exited her mind, and then she turned to look at where Spy Fly had gotten off to. She took in a few deep breaths as she struggled to keep herself calm. This was going to work out just fine, she would see. Spy Fly would figure things out.

But there was still Mr. Cosmo. If he really was behind Rudy's disappearance, as well as the disappearance of the other zoners, how was she going to handle that? What should she do or say to Mr. Cosmo to make sure that he couldn't catch her or trick her? She was aware that Mr. Cosmo would try whatever he could to bend things into his favor, if Biclops's story was of any indication.

She let out a small sigh. Their best bet would be to hope that Rudy was near a portal and have him draw something to let him get away. But that was provided that Mr. Cosmo didn't already think of a solution to that. He might have figured out a way to make sure that Rudy couldn't get in contact with a chalkboard, ensuring that he wouldn't be able to escape. For all she knew, they were all locked up _and..._

Penny blinked a few times when she thought she saw a small dot coming in her direction. It took a few long moments before she realized that it was Spy Fly coming back towards her. Penny moved back a little as the small zoner came towards her a little too quickly. Penny remained silent as Spy Fly gave her report.

"I think I found something that can help." Spy Fly stated. "Come with me. I'll try to lead you the best that I can."

Penny looked towards the portal with a sense of caution. She knew that Mr. Cosmo had a lot of employees and she was aware that one slip up was all that it would take to end things. She looked back at Spy Fly, her eyes furrowing slowly. "Are you sure that it's safe?"

"Comrade, do you _doubt_ me?" Spy Fly folded her arms lightly, cocking a small eyebrow. "I've checked the hallways and I know the safest routes."

" _I know, I know..._ I'm just making sure." Penny said as she nodded her head slowly. She didn't mean to come off as rude. She was just...uncertain about all of this. She could feel her heart skipping a few beats as she thought about Rudy's possible position, as well as other horrific thoughts. Trying to knock away that thought was not going to be easy. "Well anyway..." She looked otwards the portal once more. She had been delaying it for too long now. "Perhaps now is the time to head in there and... Well, do whatever we need to." Penny said softly.

"Right you are. I did not see Rudy, but I thought I could hear him letting out a shout." Spy Fly's face reflected a lot of emotion. The most prominent one was fear, accompanied by her putting her hand towards her mouth, scratching it lightly. "I think he was calling out for you."

Penny could feel her heart breaking at this, stinging hard. She didn't want Rudy to feel as though she had failed him. She already dealt with those emotions and it was rather painful. She didn't want to imagine what it would do to poor Rudy. She licked her lips and swallowed hard before turning to Spy Fly once more. She gave an affirmative nod and said, "Okay then, time to get going, Spy Fly. Show me the way."

Spy Fly nodded her head once and proceeded to move back towards the portal. Penny followed close behind, not wanting to lose sight of her. She still ended up pausing at the portal itself, still a little hesitant to go on through. Though Spy Fly having looked ahead for her did give her some reassurance, she still couldn't help but feel as though she was going to make a mistake that was going to get her caught. _The very idea of letting Rudy down, it..._

Penny shook the thought out of her head the best as she faced the portal. Up close and personal like this, she immediately realized that it wasn't the same kind of portal that she and Rudy were more used to. Something about it felt a little off, a little different. It took her a little while to realize just what that was.

The edge didn't sparkle or glow in the same way as it did with the portals she and Rudy creates. Instead, it had a darker tinge around it and while it did glow, it wasn't as bright or as noticeable as it should have been. This alone was enough to make the portal feel almost ominous to her. She couldn't fathom why it was _so...dim._

She pushed herself through the portal regardless, however. She couldn't let that slow her down. Not when Rudy could be locked up in here against his will, in danger. She gave one quick shudder as she went through before proceeding to head down slowly, making her way through this place as she headed straight towards where Spy Fly was taking her.

The first impression that Penny got when she looked around was how big this place looked and how it felt like it cost far more money than most normal buildings would have. The room she was in had a few dusty items, the portal being one of them, and seemed more like a junk room. Though for what, Penny couldn't tell.

The hallways, however, looked a lot cleaner and more brightly lit. Penny was aware of the fluorescent lighting above her, clustered in rows, practically burning at the back of her head. She tried her best to shake off the feeling as she forced herself to continue down further, keeping herself close to Spy Fly. Her eyes constantly zipped left and right as she took in the sights around her.

She hadn't expected Mr. Cosmo's place to look like this. The walls all around had a more metallic feel to it. Slightly shiny and almost disorienting in areas where the light shined directly on it. Was this how the outside was? Oddly the room she was in didn't sport this. Instead, it had a pale beige coloring with a slight tinge of grey. Was this how the other rooms were? Why did Mr. Cosmo have most of the building be made out of _this_ metal material?

While Penny pondered the meaning of all of this, she almost missed when Spy Fly bolted to the right, going down a different hallway. Penny rushed to keep up with her, nearly forgetting that she was supposed to keep silent. She could see Spy Fly further down, having stopped in order to wait for her to catch up. Penny pushed herself to go fast while keeping quiet and soon she joined up with Spy Fly.

The small insectoid zoner moved her hand out and her tiny little fingers pointed at the end of the hallway, where Penny noticed there was some kind of a door. There was some kind of sign next to it, although from here, she could not make it out.

"That place looks suspicious." Spy Fly stated. "Do you think we should look there?"

"You didn't look _yourself?_ " Penny asked, blinking in confusion.

Spy Fly shrugged. "I saw the door, but I couldn't open it and I'm not small enough to go underneath it." She looked down the hallway, frowning in the direction of the door. "But I'm sure that something behind there could help us out."

Penny tilted her head slightly. "What makes you think that? I mean, you didn't even look..."

"And what better way to find out than to open it up?" Inquired Spy Fly.

"...you _do_ have a point." Penny admitted.

"Come on, let's take a look." Spy Fly immediately moved towards the door. Penny hesitated for a few moments, and then she began to follow Spy Fly in further.

Penny stared intently at the door that they were approaching, wondering why Spy Fly was so determined to look in it. Just what about it had stood out to her? Was it the sign? It didn't seem like it had a lot written on it. Had she heard something from beyond the door? Was it just the first door she happened to see and wanted Penny to look at it?

Although her mind was becoming a little crowded with questions like that, Penny still approached the door. Regardless of Spy Fly's reasonings, this door was still the closest thing she had to finding Rudy at the moment. She might find something in there that could help her out. Maybe it was the control room and she could use the cameras to find Rudy. She imagined this place had some kind of surveillance, _right?_

When Penny arrived at the door, she put her hand on it and leaned in towards the plate. She stared at it intently, looking at it up and down, trying to see if there was anything written on it that coud help.

 _A blank...?_ That was strange. Why would the plaque here be blank? Had they just put this in? Were they trying to think of something that they could do with it? Well, that did seem to make some sense and...

Penny immediately stopped, her head spinning. She could feel her hand coming up to her head, rubbing it slowly as thoughts began to creep in her mind. She couldn't stop the onslaught of emotion that began to emerge.

If there was surveillance room, then when she had come in, why didn't Spy Fly mention anything about being careful? Why did they immediately start exploring around here. Spy Fly could hide more easily, but Penny... There was a chance that there wasn't, but it did seem a little odd that Spy Fly didn't mention to her about potentially being watched and finding a way to, say, disable the security if there was one in place. Penny didn't see any cameras, but that didn't mean that there was nothing there.

On top of that, what of that strange portal she had seen? It was nothing like any portal she had ever seen before. It was like it was drawn with a different piece of chalk. It could not have been Rudy who made that portal. His all looked the same. He wouldn't have used another type of chalk, not after what happened with the red chalk. Spy Fly didn't seem to express any caution about that, nor did she find it strange the portal was darker and duller than Rudy's normal portals.

 _So, why would Spy Fly not express any concerns about that?_ She was supposed to be a reporter, wasn't she? Someone who was in tune with details and would point out certain things that are missed by others. She was an very observant zoner. There was a reason why Snap liked to call upon her for help for his television programming, specifically for newscasting.

All in all, Spy Fly thrived on the details, thrived on finding out what she could and relaying that information. Given that fact, _why_ would she suddenly not at least...warn her about possible surveillance or express confusion or caution about the dark portal they had passed through earlier? _Why would Spy Fly not..._

Suddenly, Penny could feel a cold rush moving through her blood, making her swallow bitter bile. Her eyes became wide like saucers and her breath caught in her mouth.

" _...sorry, comrade..._ "

That was the last thing Penny heard before the door suddenly swung open.

sss

Everything was dark. Nothing but blackness everywhere. Things felt like they were spinning. A pounding headache spread throughout. Things swayed from side to side, showing no signs of ending.

What was going on here? Just where was he? What had happened? Why was...

A low sound came rumbling through the area. It took a few moments before he realized that it was himself and he forced himself to relax. But that didn't change the fact that he could not see anything here and he felt his teeth clenching tightly against one another, his heart racing in his chest. Why was the world so dark?

Slowly, he forced his eyes open, blinking several times as the light suddenly shot in. He hissed in pain, gritting his teeth, before pulling himself back. He tried to twist himself in one direction, only to hit the back of his hand against something hard. He felt his mouth open and a yelp coming out of it. He continued to try to force his eyes open, fighting against the bright light.

Eventually, it seemed to work. His vision was still incredibly blurred and everything looked as though the contrast was turned all the way up. But at least he could see something. He growled softly as his lip curled up, one eye struggling to remain at least partially open, as he looked around carefully.

Everything in here was so bright. The lights were all turned on and the white light bounced off what looked to be metal walls and floor. An odd choice, though maybe it wasn't really metal floors but was still as reflective as metal. Whatever the case may be, the whole room felt like it was glowing. Even with his eye only partially open, he could feel a dull headache pounding in it, threatening to break it open.

As he continued to struggle with the eye pain, he became aware that there was some sort of sign in front of him. He didn't want to do it, but he had little choice other than to look again, fighting against his eye pain, in order to read it.

' **Recovery Room. Occupied?: Yes.'**

And when he refocused his eyes elsewhere, he could see part of his own reflection. The same green, three-limbed body that he's always had, those same antenna that he was forced to live with, the same mismatched eyes that made him even more identifiable.

Who would treat Skrawl in _this_ manner?

Skrawl let out a low growl as he turned his head away, the light slowly becoming too much for him. He shook his head a few times and raised his hand up. _Why was his head pounding so hard?_ Why did it feel like _something_ was crawling inside of him, eating away at his skull?

He hissed when he felt some sort of large bump on the side of his head. How could this have happened? Did something hit him? He didn't remember anything like that happening. He could only imagine he was in a fight, since he and Rudy do battle each other pretty often. But he didn't recall a time when a fight with Rudy would cause something like this.

That was when he could see a shadow forming along the ground and he could hear the sound of footsteps. Someone was approaching. Skrawl narrowed his eyes into slits. Whoever this happened to be, they were going to tell him what was going on. He would make them tell him.

But as he was waiting, he happened to slowly turn his head to one side. And that was when he caught a glimpse of something. He had to shake his head once and try to look again to see if he did see things right.

Another zoner?

It took him a few seconds to recognize who this particular zoner was. Peering a little more closely, it was clear that this was Rapsheeba. She appeared to be unconscious and unmoving. Skrawl immediately noticed a small trail of redness and instinctively, he moved his eyes up to follow it.

He immediately noticed what appeared to be a nail in her forehead, sticking out partially. Blood dribbled down constantly, making him realize that it was pushed deep into her skull. This realization caused him to intake a sharp breath, his mind spinning. He was trapped just like her, and there was someone approaching and with him being here, trapped like this... Was _he_ next?

 _Oh gawd no..._


	18. Like A Knife Through Butter

The red-haired man didn't hesitate to toss the little zoner back into his cell as soon as the procedure was done. He showed no remorse for how painfully the zoner landed. It wasn't like he could feel it right now, anyway. He watched as the zoner crumbled downward, a smile spreading along his face.

Well that was a job well done. It went better than he had expected. So _that_ was what it felt like to actually put those things in directly _himself..._ Perhaps he should consider doing that more often.

Mr. Cosmo didn't dwell on those matters for too long. He finished up with Snap and it was time to move on. He stared at the zoner for a few moments before he shut the door, leaving Snap in there alone. He wondered how he was going to react when he woke up. He had a feeling that it was going to be quite the show. But as much fun as that was going to be to watch, he had other things he needed to take care of. For instance, how was he going to go about making Rudy join him? He had to be careful with his choices, or else...

"Mr. Cosmo!" A feminine voice suddenly shouted at him.

Mr. Cosmo jerked once before swiveling his head to see Ms. Saffron coming towards him. He growled softly in her direction. " _Dammit_ , woman, can't you give me more of a warning next time?"

"How about next time, you _answer_ your gawd damn phone." Hissed Ms. Saffron.

Mr. Cosmo narrowed his eyes. "You knew I was busy and couldn't take any calls. _Besides..._ " He folded his arms against his chest. "...what could have been so important that you had to interrupt _my work?_ "

Ms. Saffron didn't hesitate to yank her arm forward. In an instant, Mr. Cosmo could see that the blonde woman hadn't been alone. There, standing before him, was another student of Mr. Wilter's. Penny, he believed her name was. He blinked a few times as he stared at her, wondering just what in the world she thought she was doing here.

Ms. Saffron said, "She is demanding to see Rudy." She glared at Penny before turning back to Mr. Cosmo. "She is being persistent and I don't know what to do with her." Penny was struggling to free herself. Ms. Saffron looked like she was having trouble keeping up. "I wanted to ask you what I should do."

Mr. Cosmo kept his eyes on Penny. His mind's gears started to turn as he started to formulate thoughts and ideas inside of his head. If he remembered right, wasn't Penny a friend of Rudy's? Well she had to be for her to be demanding to see him. At least, that would be his guess. And she had come all the way here to try to get him out, and the look in her eyes suggested that she understood the urgency of the situation and...

The man shook his head mentally to keep himself from getting too lost into his train of thought. He stared at Penny before he gave a small smile, releasing a few small chuckles. Oh this was just so _very...interesting..._

"You're a cute little thing, aren't you?" Mr. Cosmo cooed lightly. He took a step closer, reaching out to lightly scratch her chin. "Thinking you could come in here without getting caught, demanding such frivilous things..."

Penny jerked her head away and hissed. When Mr. Cosmo tried to reach out to her again, Penny opened her jaws wide and snapped them shut. Mr. Cosmo quickly moved his hand away and looked at his fingers, making sure that they were still there. He looked back at Penny with a slightly blankened expression.

"How did you find her?" Mr. Cosmo asked, his eyes never leaving Penny. He could see the way she snarled, growled, and twisted herself about as he listened to Ms. Saffron give her answer.

"Spy Fly had told me about what had happened. She helped me lure Penny into a trap so that she couldn't escape."

Mr. Cosmo's eyes sparked at this. "Ah, I knew drawing that tiny insect was going to be a good idea." This wasn't the first time that Spy Fly had performed well. But he couldn't help but feel especially impressed about this. She wasn't ordered to help capture anyone; only gather information. The fact that she knew what to do despite never having done anything like this before... _Really impressive._

"Y-You won't get away with this!" Penny shouted. Mr. Cosmo noticed a bit of tears in her eyes. "I-I'll make you _pay!_ "

Mr. Cosmo quickly deduced that it wasn't just Rudy's situation that had Penny upset. Surely there were others, like the situation with Spy Fly. Given that, he also realized, quite fast, that Penny has to be connected to ChalkZone as well. He could feel his head starting to rumble internally as he tried to think of what he should do with her.

Having both children work for him would be a plus. He was aware of how smart Penny was and what she could bring to the team. Rudy's creative streak would be useful. That was one of the things that drew him to the boy. And of course, the most pragmatic reason to bring in both of them is the fact that, well, they stood in his way, and if he removed both of them, he would have more freedom to do what he wanted. His plans couldn't move forward so long as they opposed him.

But then he started to think about what Ms. Saffron had said earlier. Would it be wise to try to recruit both of them? Ms. Saffron did point out how hard it would be to make sure that Rudy doesn't betray him. How much _more_ difficult would that be if he involved _two_ teenagers? Not to mention Penny's intellect would be a great asset to herself in manipulating him and...

He frowned slightly. There wasn't much of another choice. He didn't want to have to do this, _but..._ He had to think of his plans, you know?

He started to give Ms. Saffron her next set of orders.

"Have someone escort her to..."

sss

Snap struggled to force his eyes open, despite how stiff they were. He looked around, seeing how blurry everything was. He blinked a few times, letting drops of tears come down his face. He closed his eyes again for a few moments before he struggled to push himself up.

Everything hurt. He felt as though he had been slammed into the ground a few times. He felt like every muscle was exploding and every bone was cracked. He knew, even in his dazed state, that this probably wasn't the case. But that did little to help him feel better as he got up slowly. He realized that he had moved too quickly as dizziness struck against him, forcing him to sit back down. He then sat there for several moments.

He tried to remember what had happened recently. He could barely put the pieces together. _Something about being taken somewhere, a large white room..._ But he could not think of much else beyond that. Everything else was a dull, humming blur, rumbling in the back of his mind. It taunted him, keeping itself just out of reach. He tried so hard to reach for it, but it was always out of range. He eventually stopped, his headache getting worse, before he just...collapsed back to the ground.

He could feel a dull itch spreading along his forehead. He had tried to ignore it, feeling too much pain right now to want to bother with it. But it continued to grow and fester in his head and it wouldn't leave him alone. His breathing became more and more shuddered the longer the tried to ignore it. Finally, he could take it no longer and he reached up to scratch it.

He immediately regretted it.

As soon as he put his hand against that spot, he exploded in pain and agony. Just a small scratch around the area caused a sharp pain to dig into his head and make him scream. His mind spun in circles as he squirmed and kicked along the ground, fighting back against the feeling. He could feel hot tears pouring down his face as he struggled to fight against it. This lasted for several moments before the pain started to subside slightly. His screaming eventually reduced to whimpering.

Snap laid there for several moments, horrified by this turn of events. _Why was his head hurting so badly? What had happened to him?_ Why it did it feel like something was trying to _crawl into_ his brain and strike at it? He thought he remembered seeing a mirror before, but the pain had him in too tight of a grip to even try to look.

The small blue and white zoner could only just lay there upon the ground, shaking and whimpering, as the pain continued to wrack through his trembling body. Confusion added to the pain, making it difficult for him to comprehend just what was going on. He tried to keep his breathing steady, but this grew increasingly difficult as he struggled to fight against the agony that whatever was in his forehead was causing.

In his suffering confusion, he didn't realize that the floors were echoing with the approach of someone. He was unaware of a voice from beyond the door. It was only when he heard the jingling of the door being unlocked that he lifted his head up to see what was going on. He hissed when the door was opened up and light spilled into the room. He forced his head way for a few seconds before trying to look back over again.

He could see someone tall walking towards him, and he thought he could see blonde hair. His vision was still too blurred from pain for his mind to make an accurate image. But he did gather enough to know that this was not Mr. Cosmo.

"...looks like you finally got one, _too..._ "

...which immediately didn't help him feel better. This person, whoever she was, must be working for Mr. Cosmo. A part of him wondered if he should even recognize her at all, but his pained state made it hard for him to connect the dots.

So instead of trying to say anything, Snap immediately went on the defensive. He struggled against his pain as he arched himself a little, almost like a cat, and growled at the newcomer. He wasn't going to let her touch him, regardless of what she tried to tell him. This posture caused adrenaline to rush through him which in turn caused a bit of numbing. He was almost tempted to lunge at the woman, _but if he tried that..._

The woman tilted her head to one side. It was difficult to tell just what she was thinking, since he couldn't make out her facial expressions that well. But Snap still kept himself tense, trying to ready himself for whatever the woman was going to try.

"You sure do act like you're in pain... Though Mr. Cosmo said that it doesn't hurt zoners as much as their reactions seem to indicate. I'm sure you will be fine soon."

Snap didn't try to respond. He instead tried to cringe himself away from the woman, wanting to put distance between her and himself. Doing so caused him to agitate himself a little too much and he yelped a few times. But when the woman reached out towards him, he scrambled to get away, eventually hitting himself up against the bed behind him.

"You _need_ to be _careful._ It might not be that serious, but you're going to make it worse if you continue to struggle like that." The woman told him firmly. "Let me take a look to make sure you..."

When the woman reached out towards him again, Snap hissed and struck out with his hand. He could feel it smacking up against something solid and he realized that he had struck her. The woman moved her hand away and he thought he could see a look of shock upon her face. Snap just growled at her, his body trembling, as the two stared off at one another.

" _Hey..._ It's going to be _fine..._ " The woman started to coo to him gently. She started to reach out towards him yet again. "You don't need to be like this. Please just..."

Snap struck at her again, feeling himself release a loud, feral hiss out of desperation. " _D-Don't fucking touch me...!_ "

The two just continued to gaze into each other's eyes, an awkward silence spreading around them.

sss

" _Let me go! Release me now or I'll...!_ "

"Shut up, you stupid girl, and _come along!_ "

"Yeah, this is what you get for sticking your nose where it don't belong."

Penny growled at the two men that were dragging her down the hallway. She tried once more to struggle and wriggle herself free, but it was no use. There was no way that she could get away from them this easily. They were just too strong for her. She eventually had to stop and she just...dragged her feet literally as the two men carried her to her destination.

She had no idea where she was going to be taken. She didn't know what Mr. Cosmo had planned for her. But despite not knowing, she kept gritting her teeth tightly, showing that she wasn't going to give up that easily. She knew that Mr. Cosmo's plans couldn't be that good. No matter what happened, she wasn't going to back down.

She was unnerved by the fact that these men knew what Mr. Cosmo was planning. They didn't outright say it of course, but it made perfect sense. She wasn't stupid. She could see exactly what was going on around here. She could tell from the tone of her voice, from the choices of words, and from their mannerisms that they all knew exactly what Mr. Cosmo was trying to do.

 _And they were all in on it..._

Penny realized rapidly that she was in a place with no allies that could help her. The only ones that would try to aid her were locked up somewhere. They probably didn't even know that she was there at all. The thought horrified her, causing her blood to chill. What if something was done to her so that she couldn't... And they couldn't...

She shook the thought out of her head, growling deeply, as she tried to keep herself from getting too lost in despair. It was going to be hard, she knew. But she just...had to try to hold onto any ounce of hope and determination that she had. It was all that she could do to make sure that she remained focused. She couldn't...

Her thoughts were cut off when she felt herself suddenly being yanked forward. She could hear the men grunting behind her as they used her full strength to throw her forward, through what she realized was an open door. She crashed into the ground painfully, biting her tongue and yelping. She lifted her head up and looked behind her. At this point, the men had already shut the door, leaving her in there alone. She narrowed her eyes as she watched them leave. _What in the world did they tihnk they were doing? Did they really think that this was..._

The door had been shut. It was quick, faster than she could blink. Automatic door, perhaps? Whatever it was, it caused her to suddenly freeze up and any smirk that she had was gone. Well, those guys weren't as dumb as she thought they were. She began to look at her surroundings, wondering where she had been dropped off at.

The room seemed really huge, larger than most other rooms she had seen before. Which wasn't much. The ceiling was much taller than in most of what she had seen. It almost looked like it would spread on for a while, making it almost look like it was neverending, which she knew wasn't the case.

Situated on the ground, she noticed what appeared to be a large bowl of water, like for a dog, and a few small toys. It was then that she noticed that this place did smell as though it belonged to some large animal. _What kind of animal could..._

Her thoughts trailed off, her heart freezing in cold ice, when she heard a low rumbling behind her. A deep guttural growl that threatened to make her heart explode from fear. She remained still for several moments before forcing herself to look behind to see where the growling was coming from. A huge shadow was looming over her, the teal eyes glowing on what little light there was.

" _D-D-Draow..._ " Penny felt herself whispering hoarsely. She realized in that moment exactly what Mr. Cosmo had in mind for her.

As if on cue, the winged beast twitched once to one side before he pulled his lips back into a snarl. He raised his wings up a little, his fur raising on end, before he charged towards Penny, his feet pounding the ground.

" _Rawwwr!_ "

Penny remained frozen like a deer in headlights for a few seconds before she tried to turn around. Draow, however, came in faster than she had anticipated. Draow raised his wing up and struck down. The tip of the sickle claw easily sliced through her shoulder.

" _Aaargh!_ "

Pain seered through her body as she screamed and fell to the ground. Her hand clutched at her shoulder, feeling her warm blood dripping down. She looked up at Draow with wide, fearful eyes. She could feel her heart nearly stop beating as she remembered a terrifying truth:

She had been locked in this room. _Alone._ With _Draow._


End file.
